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 given pie-chart illustrates the outcome of the survey regarding the library users at a university.The table provides the data on the same survey conducted on the library user's satisfaction at the university
Overall,the piechart is divided into 5 different categories with the highest number belonging to full time undergraduates and the least numbering to academic staff.Furthermore,table below provides us the information regarding the satisfaction of the library usersregarding services, with the most being satisfied at opening hours service and the least satiffied from availability of journals.
Firstly,The piecharts provides data on the five different categories of library users where it is evident that the most library users turns out to be full-time undergraduates with staggering percentage of 44% whereas the least percentage of 7% belongs to academic staff.Similarly,Table below provides data showing the most library users satisfied with the helpfulness of staff while the avilability of journal is the most detrimental service according to the consumers with 95% and 20% respectively.
Secondly,Pie chart also gives us overviw about other categories where 25% of users are full-time garduates 16% are part-Time graduates while distance learners only round up upto 8%.The given table also puts spotlight on the percentage staisfaction of other services for instance 65% being very satisfied and 35% being fairly satisfied without any dissatisfaction from consumers while reliability of wifi shows 48% being satisfied 35% being fairly satisfied and 19% being completly disssatisfied from the service.
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 response successfully addresses both parts of the prompt by summarising the pie chart regarding library users and the table showing satisfaction levels. An overview is provided, highlighting the main trends such as full-time undergraduates being the largest user group (44%) and academic staff the smallest (7%), alongside key satisfaction metrics. However, there are some minor factual inaccuracies in the details; for instance, the text claims that 95% were satisfied with the helpfulness of staff, which is accurate for 'very satisfied', but the table indicates 0% not satisfied and 5% fairly satisfied, making the total satisfaction 100%. Furthermore, some percentages and categories are slightly rushed or compressed. Overall, the task is well covered with clear data references, earning a solid Band 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is structured into four paragraphs, following a logical progression from an introductory overview to body paragraphs detailing the charts. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Firstly', 'Similarly', and 'Secondly' are used to guide the reader through the data. However, paragraphing and punctuation mechanics show notable flaws, including missing spaces after punctuation marks (e.g., 'university.The', 'Overall,the', 'Firstly,The'), and some mechanical transitions. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of proper spacing and occasional awkward cohesive ties prevent the response from achieving a higher band. Coherence is maintained overall, supporting a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for an Academic Task 1 response, using terms such as 'illustrates', 'outcome', 'staggering percentage', and 'detrimental service'. However, there are spelling and word-choice errors throughout the text, such as 'numbering' instead of 'number', 'avilability' (availability), 'garduates' (graduates), 'staisfaction' (satisfaction), and 'completly disssatisfied' (completely dissatisfied). While these errors do not impede overall communication, they restrict the lexical score to Band 6.0 due to recurring inaccuracies in less common lexical items.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'where it is evident that...', 'with 65% being very satisfied and 35% being fairly satisfied'). However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are numerous punctuation errors, missing articles (e.g., 'table below', 'reliability of wifi'), and minor subject-verb or agreement lapses (e.g., 'the most library users turns out', 'the least numbering'). Although simple sentences are generally accurate and complex structures are attempted, the frequency of mechanical and grammatical errors keeps the score at a Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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