Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-01
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 given below indicates percentage of library use by varied academic staff. Library is actually the basic requirement of academic staff and students also at any stage of their education.
Undergraduate students have greater use of library. This may include students of any discipline at undergraduate level. Students use for educational purpose like taking books from library related to their curriculum, for fulfilling their assignment and presentation tasks.
25% of the library is used by full-time postgraduate students. They mostly used it for their thesis completion. They get the opportunity to study various books, thesis and articles related to their topic from the library. The chart depicts that 16% of the library is used by part-time postgraduate students.
The table illustrates that students are much satisfied with the helpfulness of staff and then the opening hours of library. Availability of journals and books is 50/ 50. Wifi reliability is doubtable.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response addresses the task only partially, as the interpretation of the visual data contains significant inaccuracies and misunderstanding. For instance, the student states that the chart indicates the 'percentage of library use by varied academic staff', whereas the chart actually shows the categories of all library users, where academic staff account for only 7%. Furthermore, the description misinterprets the data by stating that '25% of the library is used by full-time postgraduate students', rather than reporting that this group makes up 25% of the library users. While some key features are mentioned, such as the undergraduate proportion and the satisfaction table details, the lack of accurate data reporting and the omission of clear overall comparisons limit the development of the response.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response shows some organization with basic paragraphing, but there is no clear overall progression throughout the text. Information is grouped loosely by categories and table items, but transitions between sentences and ideas feel disjointed. For example, moving abruptly from postgraduate statistics to the table data lacks a cohesive link. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as the repetitive use of 'the library is used by' without smooth substitution or varying structures. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes inaccurate, which prevents the essay from flowing logically from one point to the next.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary items, such as 'curriculum', 'thesis completion', and 'satisfaction', but these are accompanied by noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'students are much satisfied' instead of 'very satisfied', and 'Wifi reliability is doubtable' instead of 'questionable' or 'unreliable'. There are also awkward phrasing choices, such as 'greater use of library' instead of a higher proportion of users. While communication is not severely blocked, the lexical range remains basic and repetitive.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer uses a limited range of sentence structures, relying primarily on simple sentences with occasional, mostly faulty attempts at complex forms. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with missing articles ('use of library' instead of 'use of the library', 'for educational purpose'), incorrect prepositions ('use for educational purpose like taking books'), and awkward phrasing. For instance, 'Students use for educational purpose like taking books from library related to their curriculum' contains structural omissions and awkward prepositions that cause some difficulty for the reader. Punctuation is basic, and verb tense consistency needs improvement.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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