Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-20
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 illustrates the proportion of the different library users and the bar chart gives the figures of individuals satisfaction with the library facilities of a survey at a university.
Overall, it can be seen thatfull-time undergraduate accounted for the greatest numbers while academic staff contrib utes the least one. Full-time and past-time postgraduate also have a reasonable percentages. Majority of the people were satisfied with the different services provided in the library.
In the pie chart, full-time undergraduate were 44% having the greatest stats of all leaving behind the full and part time posgraduate at 25% and 16% respectively. Distance learning and Academic staff users were quiet low at 8% and 7% separately.
In the tabling behind , users were almost satisfied the most with the staff helpfulness at 95% getting behind the library opening hours at 65%. 40% users were fairly satisfied with the books availaibility. 20% and 19%
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the main user group correctly: full-time undergraduates make up the largest share (44%), while academic staff are the smallest (7%). You also report several other user proportions and note that satisfaction is generally positive. However, the satisfaction summary is incomplete: the response gives figures for staff helpfulness and opening hours, then mentions only the 40% fairly satisfied with book availability. The final “20% and 19%” is left without identifying journals and wi-fi or explaining which satisfaction category those figures represent. A clearer overview should compare the strongest and weakest satisfaction results, and the body should cover the remaining categories accurately. This leaves important parts of the visual only partially reported and some details unclear.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the user categories and satisfaction results. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression becomes unclear in the final paragraph: “20% and 19%” has no stated referent, and the sentence stops before the satisfaction data are fully explained. Some linking is also awkward, as in “getting behind the library opening hours,” which does not clearly express the comparison. Improve cohesion by grouping the satisfaction figures by category and using explicit comparisons such as “by contrast” or “the lowest satisfaction was recorded for…”. Clearer referencing would make the organisation more effective.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “proportion,” “accounted for,” “satisfied,” and “availability,” so the response can communicate its general subject. However, the range and control are limited, and several word choices or spellings make the meaning less precise. For example, “greatest stats” is not a natural way to describe a percentage, while “quiet low” appears to mean “quite low”; “tabling” is also unsuitable for introducing the table. There are spelling errors such as “posgraduate” and “availaibility,” and “reasonable percentages” is vague. Choose precise chart language consistently, such as “share,” “proportion,” and “satisfaction rating,” and check spelling and collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response attempts a few complex forms, including “while” in the overview and “leaving behind” in the comparison, but most sentences rely on simple patterns and errors recur. Agreement is inconsistent in “full-time undergraduate were 44%” and “academic staff contrib utes the least one.” The opening sentence also has an awkward grammatical construction: “the bar chart gives the figures of individuals satisfaction.” In the final paragraph, the fragment “20% and 19%” is not a complete sentence, and punctuation around “behind” is inconsistent. These errors sometimes make relationships between figures difficult to follow. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement and complete sentences, then use a wider range of controlled comparison structures.
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.
