Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-26

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 the table illustrate the outcomes of a survey of library users at a university.

Overall, there are five categories of library users in the survey. 44% of library users are full time undergraduate students. Whereas only 7% to 8% of library users are academic staff and those learners who enrolled themselves for online courses..Around 16% of library users are part-time postgraduate pupils. 25% of full-time postgraduate students are having the facility of library.

In addition, survey also gave us a ratio of library user satisfaction as well. 65% of inviduals are very satisfied with the library opening hours and 35% are fairly satisfied with opening hours.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the main user group accurately: full-time undergraduates account for 44%, while academic staff and distance learners are the smallest groups at 7% and 8%. You also report the opening-hours figures correctly. However, the response covers only one of the five satisfaction categories, so key comparisons—especially the 95% very satisfied with staff helpfulness and the lower satisfaction for journals and wi-fi—are missing. The overview is limited, and the statement that “25% of full-time postgraduate students are having the facility of library” misrepresents the figure: it is the share of users who are full-time postgraduates. The response is also 49 words below the required minimum. Include a concise overview and report the main contrasts across both visuals.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure: it introduces the visuals, discusses user categories, and then moves to satisfaction. This gives the reader some sense of organisation, and phrases such as “Overall” and “In addition” signal transitions. However, the progression is incomplete because the satisfaction discussion stops after opening hours, leaving the table’s other rows unreported. The long category paragraph also combines several figures without a clear comparison, and “Whereas” begins a fragment rather than linking two complete ideas. Use separate paragraphs for the chart and table, and organise each around the most important comparisons. Clearer links between figures would make the information easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “pie chart,” “survey,” “categories,” and “satisfied,” and the meaning is generally understandable. There is some attempt to vary wording with “individuals” and “pupils,” but these choices are not always natural or precise for describing university library users. “Those learners who enrolled themselves for online courses” is unnecessarily wordy, while “having the facility of library” does not clearly express that 25% of users are full-time postgraduates. There is also a spelling error in “inviduals.” Aim for concise, accurate terms such as “distance learners,” “respondents,” and “accounted for.” More precise vocabulary would help you describe the data without changing its meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You produce several understandable simple sentences and attempt a more complex comparison, but control is uneven. “Whereas only 7% to 8% of library users are…” is a dependent clause presented as a sentence, and the two full stops in “courses..Around” disrupt punctuation. The phrase “25% of full-time postgraduate students are having” uses an unsuitable continuous form for a stable proportion; a simple present form such as “account for” would be more appropriate. In “survey also gave us,” the article is missing, and “65% of individuals are” does not agree naturally with the percentage as the subject. Practise complete sentence structures and accurate subject–verb patterns while retaining the clear simple sentences you already use.

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.