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 pie chart illustrates the categories of library members, whereas table provides information about the satisfaction level of users.
Overall, the highest number of library members were enrolled in full-time undergraduate course, while least members were academic staff. In terms of satisfaction, helpfulness of staff and opening hours were most satisfied services, while availability of journels which was least preferrable.
Full-time undergraduate was the largest number of library members, accounted for 44%, while half of that proportions were full-time postgraduate students, at 25%. Part-time post graduates students made up 15% of total members, while just 7% people were academic staff. 8% of students were distance learning.
65% of students were very satisfied with library opening hours, whereas remaining were fairly satisfied. In terms of helpfulness of staff, majority of students were very satisfied with this service at 95% and just 5% were fairly satisfied. Half of the total students were very satisfied by availability of books, compared to 40% were fairly satisfied, and just 10% were not satisfied. 45% of members were very satisfied by availability of journels, while 35% and 20% were fairly satisfied and not satisfied, respectively. By Reliability of wifi, nealry half of the students were very satisfied, compared to just 19% were dissatisfied.
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 student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of both the pie chart and the table. An adequate overview is provided, highlighting the highest and lowest categories and general trends in satisfaction. Data is accurately reported for the most part, such as full-time undergraduates accounting for 44% and staff helpfulness receiving a 95% very satisfied rating, though there is a minor error where 16% for part-time postgraduates is misreported as 15%. Comparisons are made where relevant, and key figures are appropriately selected. The response meets the criteria for Band 6.5 to 7.0, ultimately fitting a solid Band 6.5 as some comparisons could be more fully developed across datasets.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a clear overall progression, logically divided into an introduction, an overview paragraph, a paragraph detailing the chart, and a paragraph detailing the table. Cohesive devices are used to link ideas, such as 'whereas', 'Overall', and 'In terms of', although some transitions feel a bit mechanical ('Full-time undergraduate was the largest...'). Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two visual components. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional minor awkwardness in referencing occurs. Overall, the organization supports the clarity of the report, aligning well with the Band 6.0 descriptors.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'proportion', 'majority', and 'satisfaction level'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, but these are accompanied by spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'journels' instead of 'journals', 'preferrable' instead of 'preferred', and 'nealry' instead of 'nearly'. Furthermore, the phrase 'while least members were academic staff' contains an inaccurate collocation. While communication is not impeded, these recurring lexical and spelling inaccuracies restrict the score to Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like 'The pie chart illustrates... whereas table provides...' and 'Half of the total students were very satisfied... compared to 40% were fairly satisfied.' However, there are noticeable grammatical errors and missing articles, such as 'whereas table provides' (missing article 'the') and awkward relative clauses ('availability of journels which was least preferrable'). Punctuation and sentence boundaries are generally maintained, but errors in preposition use ('By Reliability of wifi') and verb agreements persist. These errors rarely impede communication, placing the response firmly at Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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