Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-16
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The chart and table below show the results of a survey of library users at a university.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Categories of library users
Student answer (Band 5.5)
A survey was done at a university's library; that shows its users by category in a chart, and their satisfaction of the services in a table. In this essay we will conduct a report about the most important information given in this report and summarize the findings.
As we can notice in the chart, there are five categories that utilize the library regularly; with the full-time undergraduates having the highest percentage of these users which is 44%. Moreover, postgradute students whether they are full-time or part-time have 25% and 16% respectively. And finally distance learners and administrative staff have the lowest percentages of using the library which is predictable since these categories (especially the administrative staff) don't have the need to use the library.
Also, we can see from the provided table which summarize the satisfaction percentages of the library's services and classified them as: Very Satisfie, Fairly Satisfied or Not Satisfied. First of all the opening hours; which has 65% of the users have a very satisfaction reaction of it and 35% with fairly satisfaction reaction. Moreover, the staff helpfullness has almost all users have very satisfaction with 95%. Meanwhile, the availability of journals has the highest percentage of non-satisfaction with 20%. Also, the reliability of wifi has the second highest non-satisfied users by 19%. Lastly, looking these numbers we can see that most of the library users are satisfied of the services that it provides to them.
In conclusion, this report can help the university knowing the which category uses the library the most and provide statistical numbers of the quality of its services which will ease enhancing them in the future.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features from both the pie chart and the table. An overview is attempted in the introduction and reinforced in the conclusion, noting that undergraduates are the most prominent users and that satisfaction levels are generally high. Key data points are correctly cited, such as the 44% for full-time undergraduates and 95% for staff helpfulness. However, there are minor lapses in selecting and reporting features; for instance, the text refers to 'administrative staff' instead of the chart's label 'academic staff', and there is some unnecessary personal commentary (e.g., 'which is predictable since these categories... don't have the need to use the library'). Overall, the response addresses the prompt effectively, earning a solid Band 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged into logical paragraphs, starting with an introduction, moving to the chart data, then the table data, and finishing with a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used throughout, such as 'Moreover', 'And finally', 'Also', and 'Meanwhile'. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical, as seen in awkward transitions like 'Meanwhile, the staff helpfullness has almost all users have very satisfaction with 95%.' Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different visual elements, and there is a clear overall progression. This fits the Band 6 descriptor well, where cohesion is sometimes mechanical and referencing not always clear.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'percentage', 'satisfaction', 'availability', and 'reliability'. However, there are several instances of awkward word formation, poor collocation, and lexical errors, such as 'very satisfaction reaction', 'satisfaction percentages... classified them as: Very Satisfie', and 'staff helpfullness'. While attempts are made to use less common vocabulary ('predictable', 'enhacing'), inaccuracies in word choice are noticeable. These errors do not impede communication, placing the response firmly at Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and subordinate structures (e.g., 'whether they are full-time or part-time have 25% and 16% respectively'). However, there are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues throughout the text, such as fragment sentences ('First of all the opening hours; which has 65% of the users...'), run-on sentences with improper semicolon usage ('A survey was done at a university's library; that shows its users...'), and agreement errors ('the table which summarize'). Despite these errors, meaning is generally clear and communication is rarely impeded, matching the Band 6 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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