Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · 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

Categories of library users

Student answer (Band 8.0)

The image illustrates the proportion of different categories of library users, while the table shows how satisfied they were with five aspects of the library's services.

Overall, students accounted for the vast majority of library users, especially full time undergraduates. The majority of the students users were generally satisfied with its services with staff receiving the highest ratings whereas journals and wi-fi were evaluated less positively.

Students dominated library use, with full-time undergraduates making up the largest share at 44%. They were followed by full-time postgraduates (25%) and part-time postgraduates (16%), meaning these three groups together accounted for 85% of all users. By contrast, distance-learning students and academic staff represented only 8% and 7%, respectively.

Regarding satisfaction, 95% of respondents were very satisfied with staff helpfulness, while 65% felt the same about opening hours, and neither category received any negative responses. However, satisfaction was lower for books, journals and wi-fi. Journals had the highest proportion of dissatisfied users (20%), followed closely by wi-fi (19%), suggesting these were the library's weakest areas.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response8.0
Coherence and Cohesion8.5
Lexical Resource7.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy8.0
Overall8.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features from both the pie chart and the table. An effective overview is provided, highlighting the dominance of student groups and the general trends in satisfaction levels. Key figures are accurately selected, such as the 44% for full-time undergraduates and the 95% satisfaction rating for staff helpfulness. Comparisons are made appropriately between user categories and satisfaction aspects, such as contrasting the high ratings for staff and opening hours with the lower ratings for journals and wi-fi. The response meets all requirements for Task Achievement at a high level, displaying clear development of the visual data.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with an introductory paragraph framing both visuals, followed by a concise overview, and then moves into well-structured body paragraphs that separately address the chart data and the table data. Cohesive devices are used naturally and effectively, such as 'By contrast,' 'Regarding satisfaction,' and 'meaning these three groups together accounted for.' Paragraphing is used logically and appropriately to separate the demographic breakdown from the satisfaction survey results. Referencing is clear throughout, making the text easy to follow from start to finish.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient and flexible range of vocabulary suited to academic report writing. Phrases like 'vast majority,' 'accounted for,' 'dominated library use,' and 'proportion of dissatisfied users' show a good command of language. Less common lexical items and collocation patterns are used appropriately, such as 'distance-learning students' and 'academic staff.' There are only very minor issues, such as the slight awkwardness in 'The majority of the students users,' but overall the lexical resource is strong and allows for precise reporting of statistical information without communication difficulties.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The student displays a wide range of grammatical structures, including complex sentences with subordinate clauses ('while the table shows how satisfied they were', 'meaning these three groups together accounted for 85% of all users'). The majority of sentences are completely error-free. Control of grammar and punctuation is strong throughout the response. Minor typographical slips occur, such as 'students users' instead of 'student users', but these do not impede communication in any way. The grammatical range fully supports the clear communication of the visual data.

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