Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-18
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)
The chart and table illustrate the survey of library students and other academic staff at a university.
Overall, the chart shows the percentage of library users in various categories such as full-time graduate, part-time graduate and academic staff. The table shows the users satisfaction in percentage in different sections.
In the pie chart, the higher usage is 44% that are used by full-time undergraduate learners in the higher education department and it was a dominant contribution. After that, one third of library users were full-time post graduates which were 25%. While, 16% students contributed in library that were part-time postgraduate students. Also 8% and 7% users were distance learning and academic staff almost same as the participate in the library.
In the table, the satisfaction level about the library opening hours and helpfulness of staff are higher in very satisfied category that is 65% and 95% respectively and fairly satisfied category is much lower than very satisfied section.Availaibilty of books, availability of journals as well as reliability of WI-FI are higher in satifaction level than fairly satisfied students of the university. But the ratio of dissatisfied students is much lower.
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 successfully addresses both parts of the prompt by summarizing the main features of the pie chart and the table. An overview is provided at the beginning, noting the general themes of user categories and satisfaction levels. Key data points are selected and reported accurately, such as the highest user category being full-time undergraduates at 44% and the highest satisfaction scores for library staff helpfulness at 95%. Comparisons are made where relevant, and figures are largely aligned with the source text. However, some minor inaccuracies in expression occur, such as stating that distance learning and academic staff participated 'almost same as the participate in the library' rather than reflecting their percentages precisely (8% and 7%). Overall, the task is fully covered with relevant ideas extended and supported.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged logically with an introduction, a paragraph dedicated to the chart, and a paragraph dedicated to the table. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader through the data, such as 'Overall', 'In the pie chart', 'After that', and 'In the table'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different visual elements. However, referencing and transitions are at times a bit mechanical or repetitive, such as the repetitive sentence structures starting with 'The chart and table...' and 'In the pie chart... In the table...'. Overall organisation and progression are clear throughout.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to academic categories and survey satisfaction, such as 'dominant contribution', 'satisfaction level', and 'dissatisfied students'. There are several spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'users satisfaction' instead of 'user satisfaction', 'Availaibilty', 'satifaction', and awkward phrasing like 'the higher usage is 44% that are used by full-time undergraduate learners'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with some inaccuracy, but meaning is generally clear and communication is not impeded.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms. The student attempts complex structures, such as relative clauses ('that are used by full-time undergraduate learners') and coordinate clauses. However, there are frequent grammatical errors in verb forms, prepositions, and agreement, such as 'users satisfaction in percentage in different sections', 'one third of library users were full-time post graduates which were 25%', and 'distance learning and academic staff almost same as the participate'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but grammatical errors occasionally cause minor reading difficulty.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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