Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-30

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 chart and table below illustrate the information about survey of library users at a university. It describes the categories and satisfaction of library members.

Overall, full time undergraduate uses the library most. in contrast, academic staff usage is least significant. Full-time postgraduate proportion is quarter. Most of the members are satisfied by all facilities available at the library. However, some are fairly or even not satisfied.

Turning to the different groups being facilitated in the library include students, staff and distance learners. Full-time graguates uses it sharply 44%. Part-time postgraguates hold 16% of total membership. Academic staff and distance learning account for 7% and 8% of whole chart.

On the other hand, if we talk about different facilities available at library, library opening time is prominent from which whole community is satisfied. it is also experienced that the staff is cooperative and helpfull, as 95 out of 100 are fully happy with it. People at library were satisfied with the books available. Therefore, 50 members are fully and 40 are partially satisfied, but reliability of wifi was concerning.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The student attempts to cover both parts of the prompt: the categories of library users and the satisfaction survey data. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, correctly identifying the largest and smallest user groups and noting general satisfaction trends. However, the selection and reporting of data contain inaccuracies and a lack of precision. For example, the student writes 'Full-time postgraduate proportion is quarter', whereas the chart shows 25%. Later, the description of user satisfaction relies on imprecise phrases like '50 members' instead of percentages, misinterpreting the table data which represents percentages rather than absolute headcounts. Furthermore, some key details are omitted or under-developed. Despite these flaws, the main features are broadly addressed, warranting a band score of 5.5.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is organised into four paragraphs, following a logical layout with an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for the user categories and satisfaction rates respectively. However, progression is somewhat disjointed due to awkward phrasing and abrupt transitions (e.g., 'Turning to the different groups being facilitated in the library include...'). Cohesive devices are used, but sometimes inaccurately or mechanically, such as 'On the other hand' to introduce the survey data, which is an inappropriate logical contrast since the survey results complement rather than contrast with the user categories. Paragraphing is present and generally appropriate, but the mechanical referencing limits coherence, placing it firmly at a band 6.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully using terms like 'categories', 'proportion', 'membership', and 'community'. However, there are frequent lexical errors and instances of unnatural word choice, such as 'full time undergraduate uses the library most', 'graguates uses it sharply', and 'helpfull'. Spelling errors ('graguates', 'postgraguates', 'helpfull') occur multiple times and affect precision. While less common vocabulary is attempted, misuse of collocation and word formation prevents the response from reaching a higher band. The lexical resource is sufficient to convey the general meaning, earning a band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures like 'On the other hand, if we talk about different facilities...'. However, there are numerous grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing articles ('academic staff usage is least significant', 'library opening time is prominent'), subject-verb agreement issues ('full time undergraduate uses'), and punctuation/capitalization slips ('in contrast', 'it is also experienced'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to restrict the score to a band 5.0, as error-free sentences are in the minority.

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

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