Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-20

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 6.0)

This diagram illustrates a pie chart which shows a category of library users at a university as well as a table which shows library users satisfaction. We are going discuss the main features as well as make the relevant comparisons.

Overall, library is mostly occupied by the full time under graduate students who acquired 44% that is the largest. Secondly, full time post graduate students acquire 25% whereas the part time post graduate students acquire 16%. Next, we can see that the library is the least used by the students who are distance learning and the academic staff acquiring 8 and 7% each respectfully. It is quite evident from the pie chart that the library is the most popular among the under graduate students and the least popular among the academic staff.

In addition to that, we can see that the students are mostly satisfied by the opening hours of the library with 65% very satisfied and 35% fairly satisfied. Moreover, it is clear from the table that the staff is also convenient and helpful as 95% users are satisfied with them. The availability of the books shows some concern as only 50% are very satisfied and 40% are fairly satisfied leaving the 10% not satisfied. There is also a substantial number of people not satisfied with the availability of the journals as well as the reliability of wifi with 20 and 19% not satisfied. Hence, we can see there are some aspects that still need some work to increase the satisfaction of the library users.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response successfully covers all parts of the prompt by summarising the main features of both the pie chart and the table, while making appropriate comparisons. The writer correctly identifies that full-time undergraduates are the largest group of library users at 44%, and contrasts this with distance learners and academic staff, who represent the smallest proportions. In the second body paragraph, the candidate accurately reports key satisfaction data, such as the high satisfaction with opening hours and staff helpfulness, alongside areas of concern like journal availability and Wi-Fi reliability. However, there is a slight structural flaw in the introduction where the writer uses conversational language ("We are going discuss..."), which detracts slightly from an academic tone. Nevertheless, all main trends and data points are highlighted accurately and supported with correct figures from the visual stimuli, meeting the requirements well.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is generally clear and has a logical arrangement, moving from an introduction to an overview of the pie chart data, and finally discussing the table of satisfaction ratings. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two datasets. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas, such as "Overall," "Secondly," "whereas," and "In addition to that." However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive, and referencing could be smoother. For example, expressions like "Next, we can see that..." and "In addition to that, we can see that..." introduce a somewhat conversational, repetitive tone rather than a sophisticated academic flow. Overall progression is clear, but cohesive control remains at a standard level rather than showing advanced flexibility.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The candidate demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms related to data reporting such as "illustrates," "proportion," "majority," and "satisfaction." There are appropriate attempts at less common vocabulary, like "substantial," "evident," and "reliability." However, there are some minor lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as stating that staff is "convenient" when the table actually refers to their "helpfulness," and writing "acquired" or "acquire" instead of "accounted for" or "made up." Spelling and word formation are generally accurate, but the lack of more precise collocation and occasional imprecise terminology keep this criterion at a solid functional level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and comparative forms (e.g., "the library is the least used by the students who are distance learning..." and "leaving the 10% not satisfied"). There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as missing articles ("library is mostly occupied," "staff is also convenient"), incorrect prepositions ("satisfied by" instead of "satisfied with"), and awkward phrasing like "We are going discuss." Furthermore, punctuation errors appear, such as comma splices or missing commas before dependent clauses. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the essay from reaching a higher band score.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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