Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-12

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 and table illustrate the results of a survey of library users at a university and user satisfaction with facilities.

Looking first at chart, full-time undergraduate accounte near half of portation at 44%, followed by full-time postgraduate make up a quater of portation, part-time postgraduate represents at 16%, distance learning are about at 8% and academic staff accounte the least portation at 7%.

Turning to table; for library opening hours, 65% users are very satisfied and 35% are fairly satisfied. For staff, the most of users accounted very satisfied at 95% and 5% users accounte fairly satisfied. For book availability; half of users accounted very satisfied followed by fairly satisfied at 40% and dissatisfied at 10%. For journals availability; near half of users accounted very satisfied at 45% followed by fairly satisfied at 35% and dissatisfied at 20%. For wifi reliability; near half users made up very satisfied at 48% followed by third of portation are fairly satisfied with 33% and dissatisfied at 19%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You report the figures for both the user categories and all five satisfaction areas, and the values you give are generally accurate. However, the response mainly lists individual results rather than selecting and highlighting the most important overall features. For example, it does not clearly identify that undergraduates form the largest user group, while academic staff are the smallest, or that staff helpfulness receives the strongest satisfaction rating and has no dissatisfied users. The table’s less positive results—especially the 20% dissatisfied with journal availability—are included, but not interpreted as a notable contrast. A clearer overview and more purposeful comparisons would make the response address the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: it introduces the visuals, describes the user categories first, and then moves through the satisfaction table. Phrases such as “Looking first” and “Turning to table” help signal this progression, and the information is generally easy to follow. However, the table paragraph reads as a sequence of similar item-by-item statements, with repeated “followed by” constructions and limited comparison between categories. Grouping the strongest satisfaction results together, then contrasting them with books, journals and wi-fi, would create a more developed progression. A few transitions are also awkward, but the overall organisation remains clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant vocabulary for describing proportions and satisfaction, including “very satisfied,” “fairly satisfied,” “dissatisfied,” and “reliability.” However, several word choices and collocations are noticeably inaccurate or repetitive, which makes some descriptions less natural. “Portation” is not the appropriate word for a share or proportion, and “accounted” is repeatedly used in phrases such as “accounted very satisfied,” where it does not fit the meaning. “Make up” and “represents” are useful attempts, but the response relies on a narrow set of expressions. Use precise terms such as “accounted for,” “constituted,” and “the proportion of users” to describe the data more accurately and flexibly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You communicate the main figures using mostly simple sentence patterns, and the reader can generally understand the intended comparisons. However, the range of structures is limited, and errors recur in sentence construction, articles and agreement. For example, “Looking first at chart” needs an article, while “full-time postgraduate make up” has a subject–verb agreement problem. In “third of portation are fairly satisfied,” the noun phrase and verb do not form a correct grammatical structure. Some sentences also join several figures in a repetitive pattern rather than using varied, controlled clauses. Practise accurate comparative structures and check articles, singular/plural forms and verb agreement when editing.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.