Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-15
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 below illustrate a survey of library users at a university alongside with their three satisfaction reviews.
Overall, full-time undergraduate placed the first position as library user while academic staff used library at a lower number. Likewise, most of the users reviewed very satisfied.
From all of the catergories of library users, full-time undergraduate students depended on library books for their academic purpose and accounted for 44%. The second position placed by full-time postgraduate students and occupied 25% as library users while part-time postgraduate occupied about 16%. In contrast, academic staff and distance learners were the lowest number of library users , 7% and 8% respectively.
Most of the library users were very satisfied on helpfulness behavior of library staff.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
You identify the largest user group correctly (full-time undergraduates, 44%) and the smallest (academic staff, 7%), and you include several other category figures. However, the response covers the satisfaction table only in a single general statement about staff helpfulness, omitting most of its key comparisons, such as 95% very satisfied with staff and 65% with opening hours, as well as the lower ratings for journals and Wi-Fi. The overview that “most of the users reviewed very satisfied” is too broad to represent all five services accurately. The response is also 34 words below the 150-word minimum, which limits the detail reported. To improve, summarise both visuals and select the most notable satisfaction results for comparison.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph describing user categories. This helps the reader follow the main topic, and linking phrases such as “Overall,” “Likewise,” and “In contrast” show an attempt to connect ideas. However, the progression is incomplete because the satisfaction table is not given its own developed discussion; the final sentence adds only one detail and does not connect it to the other ratings. Some linking is also awkward or repetitive, as in “The second position placed by…” and “while part-time postgraduate occupied…”. Organise the body into clear sections for user categories and satisfaction, and use comparisons to guide the reader through each set of figures.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant task vocabulary, including “accounted for,” “occupied,” “library users,” and “satisfied,” and the reader can generally understand the intended comparisons. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, which limits precision: “three satisfaction reviews” does not describe the table’s five service areas, “placed the first position” is awkward, and “depended on library books” adds an unsupported idea. There is also a spelling error in “catergories.” Aim for concise, conventional chart language and use terms that match the data, such as “share,” “group,” and “satisfaction rating.” This would make the report clearer and more appropriately formal.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including a complex comparison beginning “In contrast,” and most of the intended meaning remains understandable. However, control is uneven in several sentences. For example, “full-time undergraduate placed the first position as library user” lacks natural grammatical framing and has a singular/plural mismatch, while “The second position placed by…” is missing a clear subject and auxiliary. In “part-time postgraduate occupied about 16%,” the group label also needs plural or article support. The opening phrase “alongside with” uses an incorrect preposition pattern. Practise forming accurate subject–verb sentences for each category and checking articles, plurals, and prepositions; clearer sentence structures will help you report the figures reliably.
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