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
Student answer (Band 5.5)
The pie chart and table illustrates the results of a survey of library users at a university.
Overall, categorie of full time underpostgraduate students have the highest proportion and academic staff have the lowest percentage. whereas, helpfulness of staff represent the highest level of satisfaction level. availability of journals have the lowest proportion on very satisfied and highest percentage on not satisfied.
Figure represent the highest proportion of library user are full time undergraduate by around 44%, which is followed by the full time postgraduate by 25% and part-time postgraduate present the 16% users. However, distance learning all courses and academic staff have similar proportion by 8% and 7%.
Library user satisfication, where helpfulness of staff made up the highest percentage very satisfied by 95% with 0 not satisfied users and 5% fairly satisfied. Availability of journals represent the highest proportion of user who are not satisfied around, 20% and lower percentage of user are very satisfied approximately, 45%. Library opening hours user are very satisfied by 65% and 35% fairly satisfied and 0 not satisfied.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the prompt by covering both the pie chart showing categories of library users and the table illustrating user satisfaction levels. An overview is attempted, and key features such as the highest proportion of full-time undergraduates at 44% and the peak satisfaction rating for staff helpfulness at 95% are successfully highlighted. However, some aspects are under-developed or imprecise; for instance, the writer describes full-time undergraduates and postgraduates using conflated phrasing such as 'full time underpostgraduate students' and makes minor errors when reporting figures, such as stating 'distance learning all courses and academic staff have similar proportion by 8% and 7%'. To reach a higher band, the overview needs clearer synthesis, and all data points should be reported with greater precision and mechanical accuracy.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from an introductory statement to an overview, followed by the breakdown of user categories and finally the satisfaction statistics. Paragraphing is utilised to separate distinct topics, aiding readability. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or faulty due to awkward transitional phrases and referencing issues, such as starting the second paragraph with 'whereas, helpfulness of staff represent' without clear logical connection to the preceding sentence. Additionally, cohesive devices are somewhat repetitive and overused in a formulaic manner. To improve cohesion, the writer should employ a wider and more natural variety of linking words and ensure seamless transitions between sentences and paragraphs.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The response displays an adequate vocabulary range to communicate the main features of the visual data. The writer successfully employs task-specific terms such as 'proportion', 'percentage', 'satisfaction', and 'academic staff'. Nevertheless, there are notable lexical shortcomings and word-form errors that prevent a higher score, such as 'underpostgraduate' (a confused blend of undergraduate and postgraduate), 'satisfication' (spelling error), and awkward collocations like 'present the 16% users' and 'satisfaction level'. While these errors do not severely impede overall communication, they demonstrate a limited ability to handle less common lexical items accurately. Enhancing precision in word choice and ensuring correct word formation will significantly strengthen this area.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, attempting various descriptive patterns. However, control over grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors involving subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'The pie chart and table illustrates', 'availability of journals have'), missing articles (e.g., 'around, 20%'), incorrect prepositions, and faulty punctuation with commas. For instance, writing 'approximately, 45%' disrupts the natural flow of the sentence. While the meaning remains generally understandable, the accumulation of these errors means the majority of sentences are not error-free. To achieve a higher band, the writer must focus on tightening grammatical control, ensuring correct subject-verb concord, and eliminating punctuation errors.
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