Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-05
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 explain the results of visiting the library users in the institutions. In the overview, the percentage of full-time postgraduates in the chart and the percentage of academic staff are very low. The percentage of helpful staff in the table rose to a high level, and the percentage of fairly satisfied will be very low.
In the chart, the percentage of full-time undergraduate students is about 44%, which can lead to the other. The percentages of distance learning and academic staff are almost the same. The percentage of the full-time postgraduate is 25% and the percentage of part time graduate is about 16%.
In the table, library opening hours the percentage of very satisfied 65% and fairly satisfied is 35% and not satisfied is zero percent. Helpfulness of staff the percentage of very satisfy is 95% and fairly satisfy 5%, not satisfy zero percent. The percentage of very satisfy in availability of journals and reliability of wi-fi is almost same.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response makes an attempt to address the prompt by reporting some data from both the pie chart and the table, such as mentioning that full-time undergraduates account for about 44% and noting figures for library opening hours. However, the task is only partially addressed because the overview provided in the opening paragraph is confused and fails to accurately summarise the main trends or general patterns in the data, stating instead that the percentage of academic staff and full-time postgraduates are very low without a proper comparison. Furthermore, some of the selected details lack clarity or precision, such as the vague mention of percentages in the table body, leading to an underdeveloped response overall.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
There is some basic organisation in the response, dividing the introduction, body data, and conclusion into separate paragraphs, which provides a framework for the reader. However, there is no clear overall progression across the text. Cohesive devices are minimal, repetitive, or mechanically used, as seen in the frequent repetition of phrase starters like 'The percentage of'. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion within paragraphs is weak. Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly in sentences like 'which can lead to the other', which disrupts the logical flow of ideas and makes the relationships between the data points difficult to follow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic terms and constantly repeating phrases such as 'percentage of', 'very satisfied', and 'fairly satisfied'. There are noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'visiting the library users' instead of 'survey of library users', and incorrect word forms like 'part time graduate' instead of postgraduate, or 'very satisfy' instead of 'very satisfied'. These lexical inaccuracies and the restricted range of vocabulary mean the response sits at a basic level of lexical control, though communication is generally maintained despite the errors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer uses a very limited range of sentence structures, relying primarily on simple statements. Attempts at more complex sentences or descriptive clauses are often faulty or incomplete, as seen in sentences lacking main verbs or containing awkward phrasing like 'the percentage of fairly satisfied will be very low'. There are frequent grammatical errors involving articles, prepositions, and subject-verb agreement, such as 'library opening hours the percentage of very satisfied 65%'. These persistent errors and the lack of structural variety can occasionally cause difficulty and hesitation for the reader.
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