Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-09

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)

This illustratiion is a pie chart diagram that shows the results of a survey of library users at a university. The major portion of this pie chart is covered by the full-time undergraduate students(44%) followed by full-time postgraduate(25%) and part-time graduate(16%) with very little portions covered by the academic staff(7%) and Distance learning students(8%). This particular figure or representation shows us that the usage of library is majorly done by the full-time undergraduate students. At the bottom of this figure we also see a table which consist of satisfaction percentage of different users across the university. 65% of the users across the university lies in the very satisfied category and the remaining users are fairly satisfied about the opening hours of the library. Most of the student finds the nature of the staff to be very helpful and thus 95% of the users are very satisfied. Availability of books and journals poses a serious problem among the users as only 45% of them are very satisfied and 35% of them are fairly satisfied and there are few 10% of them who are not at all satisfied by the service. Few Student also finds the internet connection to be very weak at the library.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover both visuals and identify the largest user group accurately: full-time undergraduates account for 44%, followed by full-time postgraduates at 25%. You also report the strong satisfaction with staff and opening hours. However, some details are incomplete or inaccurate: the 45% very satisfied figure applies to journals, not books, while book satisfaction is 50%; the table also shows 10% dissatisfied with books and 20% with journals. The comment that books and journals pose a “serious problem” overstates the results, and the wi-fi comment is vague despite the figures showing 48% very satisfied and 19% not satisfied. Include a clearer overview comparing the highest and lowest satisfaction results, and report the table data more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response follows a generally sensible order, moving from the user categories to the satisfaction table, and phrases such as “followed by” help show comparisons. However, it is presented as one long paragraph, so the two visuals and the main overview are not clearly separated. Several ideas are joined with repeated “and” or “thus,” which makes the progression feel mechanical; for example, the discussion of books, journals and wi-fi runs together without a clear comparison. Some references are also imprecise, such as “this particular figure” and “the remaining users,” which can make it harder to track the data. Use separate paragraphs for the chart and table, add a concise overview, and connect details through clearer comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “major portion,” “satisfaction percentage,” “availability,” and “very satisfied.” These choices make the general subject clear, and you attempt to describe proportions rather than simply list categories. However, some expressions are unnatural or imprecise, such as “majorly done by” and “poses a serious problem,” the latter also exaggerating the figures. “Nature of the staff” is not a natural way to describe helpfulness, and “few portions” is an awkward collocation. There are also spelling and capitalisation slips, including “illustratiion” and “Student.” Aim for precise chart language such as “accounted for,” “rated,” and “dissatisfied,” and check spelling and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the meaning is usually understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, however. For example, “a table which consist” has subject–verb disagreement; “65% of the users … lies” also needs a plural verb, and “Most of the student finds” has both number and agreement problems. Articles and plural forms are inconsistent in phrases such as “usage of library” and “full-time undergraduate students(44%).” The long sentence beginning “Availability of books and journals…” also combines several claims without clear punctuation. These errors do not generally prevent understanding, but they reduce accuracy. Practise agreement with plural subjects and percentages, and divide long sentences into controlled clauses.

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