Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-02

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

Categories of library users

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The pie chart illustrates the final survey of library users at a university,while the table shows their levels of satisfication with various library services.

Overall,full time undergraguate students madeup the largest proportion of library users,whereas academic staffs represented the lowest group.In term of satisfication,helpfullness of staf recieved the hghest level of satisfication,while the availability of journals had the highest proportion of dissatisfied users.

Full time undergraduate students accounted for 44% of library users,making them the largest group.Full time postgraduate students represented the 25%,followed by part time postgraduate students at 16%.Meanwhile,distance students learning made by 8%,and academic staff accounted by 7%.

Regarding satisfication,65% of users were very satisfied with the library opening hours,while the remaining 35% were fairly satisfied.Helpfulness of staff received the highest figure,with 95% being very satisfied and 5% fairly satisfied.For the availiabilty of books 50% were satisfied,40% were fairly satisfied and the other 10% were not satisfied.

Finally,45% were very satisfied with the availiability of journals an d the other 35% were

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the main parts of the task by reporting data from both the pie chart and the table, but the overview is somewhat limited and the final body paragraph is incomplete, cutting off abruptly. While key features such as the largest user group (full-time undergraduates at 44%) and the highest satisfaction rating (helpfulness of staff at 95%) are identified, some of the supporting details are unevenly developed. The selection of data is generally relevant, but the lack of completion in the final sentence and the absence of a more synthesised comparison prevent the response from achieving a higher level of development. To improve, ensure all sections are fully completed and incorporate clearer comparative statements across the datasets.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a logical overall arrangement with a clear attempt to structure the response into an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for the pie chart and the table. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different visual elements. However, cohesion is occasionally mechanical and referencing is sometimes faulty, such as the awkward transition in 'In term of satisfication'. While cohesive devices like 'Meanwhile' and 'Regarding' are attempted, their usage can be repetitive or slightly awkward. To reach the next level, the flow between sentences and paragraphs should be smoother, ensuring that cohesive devices link ideas naturally without drawing attention to themselves.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, with attempts to report percentages and proportions using standard terms. However, there are numerous spelling errors throughout the text, such as 'satisfication', 'helpfullness', 'staf', 'hghest', 'undergraguate', 'availiabilty', and 'an d', alongside word-choice inaccuracies like 'distance students learning made by' and 'academic staffs'. These lexical errors and awkward collocations occasionally distract the reader, though communication is generally maintained. To enhance lexical resource, the writer needs to expand their control of spelling, use correct word forms such as pluralising staff properly without an 's', and incorporate more precise academic vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in prepositions and verb patterns, such as 'madeup' (spacing and formation), 'accounted by' instead of 'accounted for', and 'made by' instead of 'made up'. Punctuation and spacing issues are also notable, including missing spaces after commas and periods throughout the text. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to restrict the score. To progress, the writer should focus on mastering verb-preposition combinations, improving sentence structure accuracy, and paying closer attention to punctuation and spacing.

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

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