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 user satisfaction in percentage in different sections.
In the pie chart, the highest 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.Availability of books, availability of journals as well as reliability of WI-FI are higher in satisfaction 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 | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student successfully addresses both parts of the prompt by summarizing the pie chart and the table. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the main features of both datasets. Key details are reported accurately, such as the highest category of users being full-time undergraduates at 44%, and the high satisfaction levels for library opening hours (65%) and staff helpfulness (95%). However, there is a minor misinterpretation regarding the pie chart proportions, stating that 'one-third of library users were full-post graduates which were 25%' (25% is a quarter, not a third). Additionally, the analysis of the table tends to group categories rather than comparing specific figures precisely, such as stating 'Availability of books... are higher in satisfaction level than fairly satisfied students'. Overall, all parts of the task are addressed with relevant ideas, placing this response solidly at Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into four logical paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, a body paragraph for the chart, and a body paragraph for the table. Cohesion is generally maintained through sequencing words like 'Overall', 'In the pie chart', 'After that', and 'In the table'. However, referencing and cohesive links are sometimes mechanical or slightly imprecise. For instance, the phrase 'almost same as the participate in the library' is confusing and lacks clear logical connection. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different parts of the visual data, contributing to an overall coherent arrangement that satisfies Band 6 descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing terms like 'percentage', 'dominant contribution', 'satisfaction level', and 'dissatisfied students'. There are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation, such as 'survey of library students' instead of 'survey of library users', and 'full-time graduate' instead of 'full-time undergraduate'. Phrases like 'the highest usage is 44% that are used by' contain redundancies. While less common items are attempted, inaccuracies in word choice are noticeable. However, vocabulary errors do not impede communication, making this performance representative of Band 6.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as relative clauses ('that are used by full-time undergraduate learners') and coordinate structures. Grammatical control is variable. There are several structural and agreement errors, including 'the percentage of library users in various categories such as full-time graduate, part-time graduate and academic staff' (missing plural or article consistency), '25% that were used by' versus 'which were 25%', and 'distance learning and academic staff almost same as the participate'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, though double spacing errors appear in places. These errors occasionally cause difficulty for the reader but do not completely obscure meaning, aligning with Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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