Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-29
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 pie chart represents the types of people using library at university and table shows percentage of satisfaction of its users.
Overall, full-time undergraduates use library the most out of it’s all members and people are most satisfied by the library’s staff.
The group of people who use more library are pursuing a full-time bachelor degree and use 44 percent of the library. Furthermore, the academic staff are the ones who mainly do not use library much as they only use 7% and distance learning students also use only 8%. Additionally, second category who use most library is full-time Masters student around 25% and part time post graduate students have access only to 16%.
The members of library are very satisfied by staff cooperation towards them which is like 95% and only 5% of members are fairly satisfied by them. Secondly, library opening hours is second most thing, which many are happy approximately 65%. The most unsatisfied thing is availability of journals which is only 45% satisfied, 35% somehow satisfied and 20% unsatisfied members. Then the availability of books is 50% of its members are happy, 40% is fairly satisfied and 10% unsatisfied. Lastly, reliability of internet is not satisfied by 19% of its members, where as 48% are highly satisfied and 33% are reasonably satisfied.
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 all parts of the task by reporting on both the pie chart and the table. An overview is provided, noting that full-time undergraduates are the largest user group and that users are most satisfied with library staff. Key features are selected and compared, such as the high proportion of full-time undergraduates (44%) versus academic staff (7%) and distance learners (8%). In the satisfaction table, the writer correctly highlights staff helpfulness as the highest-rated category (95% very satisfied) and journal availability as a significant area of dissatisfaction. While some phrasing is a bit informal or clunky (e.g., 'second most thing'), the main trends and figures are accurately reported and supported.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is arranged into a logical overall structure, starting with an introduction and overview paragraph, followed by a body paragraph on user categories and a final body paragraph on satisfaction levels. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different datasets. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas, such as 'Furthermore', 'Additionally', 'Secondly', and 'Lastly'. However, referencing and transitions are sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Then the availability of books is...' or 'second category who use most library'. Overall, the logical progression is clear enough to guide the reader smoothly through the summary.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'proportion', 'academic staff', 'satisfaction', and 'availability'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, though some word choices and collocations are unnatural or imprecise, such as 'the types of people using library at university', 'pursuing a full-time bachelor degree', and 'The most unsatisfied thing'. Spelling is generally accurate throughout the response. The lexical range is sufficient to convey the main features and comparisons, but vocabulary limitations prevent it from reaching a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and subordinate structures (e.g., 'The group of people who use more library are pursuing...'). However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward structures, such as missing articles ('using library at university', 'use more library'), incorrect prepositions ('satisfied by' instead of 'satisfied with'), and tense/agreement inconsistencies. While these errors are noticeable and require the reader to occasionally re-read, they do not severely impede overall communication.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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