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 presented chart and table illustrate the conclusion of a research of library users at a college. The provided pie chart presents the categories of users, whereas the table shows the level of satisfaction of students.
In an overview, full-time undergraduate has a highest proportion in the categories of users, whereas academic staff has lowest. Moreover, the satisfied level was high by helpfulness of staff, but low by the availability of journals.
To begin with the chart, the population of different type of students accounted by percentage. The proportion of full time undergraduate is 44%, and for full-time postgraduate was quarter of the chart. In addition, part-time postgraduate has little amount of members, and academic staff and distance learning are almost in same ratio.
According to the table, the most of the library members was satisfied by helpfulness of staff, but less by availability of journals. The level of satisfaction of availability of books was half, and reliability of wifi was just below the half. Then, the library opening hours contained 65% of satisfaction.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting on both the pie chart and the table. An overview is attempted, noting the highest and lowest proportions in the chart and general satisfaction trends in the table. However, the overview is somewhat basic and lacks precise integration of key features. Furthermore, some data points are described rather vaguely, such as 'little amount of members' and 'almost in same ratio', rather than citing the exact percentages (16% for part-time postgraduates, 7% and 8% for staff and distance learners). While the main features are identified, the development and selection of data lack precision, placing this response firmly in Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is arranged coherently with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and separate body paragraphs for the chart and the table. Logical progression is generally maintained, though the transitions between ideas can feel slightly mechanical, using devices like 'To begin with the chart' and 'According to the table'. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as 'the satisfied level was high by helpfulness of staff', which affects the flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different graphical elements, satisfying the requirements for Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'proportion', 'population', and 'satisfaction'. However, there are notable lexical errors and unnatural collocations, such as 'the satisfied level was high by helpfulness', 'satisfied by helpfulness', and 'little amount of members' instead of 'a small number of members'. Attempts to use less common vocabulary result in inaccuracies, which keeps the lexical score at Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The provided pie chart presents the categories of users, whereas the table shows...'. However, grammatical errors are frequent throughout the response, including subject-verb agreement issues ('full-time undergraduate has', 'the most of the library members was'), awkward prepositions ('satisfied by', 'level of satisfaction of availability'), and missing articles ('a highest proportion'). These errors occasionally cause slight awkwardness, though they do not severely impede communication, aligning with Band 5.5.
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