Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-29

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 findings of a research study of library visitors is given in the form of a pie chart and tabular form.

Among all the categories, full-time undergraduates accounted for the majority of the chart , at 44 %. However, the lowest percentage is accounted by academic staff at 7%.

Furthermore, at the second place is full-time postgraduate with 25%, past-time postgraduates covering 16% of pie chart and the rest 8% is secured by distance learners.

The table gives a descritption of three categories of library visitors who are highly and moderately content and extremely dissatified with the services and faculty of library .

Among all the services, highest satisfaction is shown with the support of the staff , at 95%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the largest user group (full-time undergraduates, 44%) and the smallest (academic staff, 7%), and report the other category figures broadly accurately. However, the response covers the satisfaction table only minimally: it mentions staff helpfulness at 95% but omits the other four services and gives no overall comparison of satisfaction levels. The description that the table shows “three categories” of visitors is also inaccurate; it presents five library services, each rated in three ways. There is no clear overview of the main satisfaction pattern. The response is 30 words below the required minimum, which further limits the detail and comparisons you can provide. To improve, summarise both visuals and highlight key contrasts, such as staff helpfulness leading while journals receive the highest dissatisfaction.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence: it first describes the pie chart and then turns to the table, with paragraph breaks helping distinguish the two visuals. Linking expressions such as “However” and “Furthermore” also show an attempt to connect information. However, progression is limited because the table discussion stops after one figure, and the final paragraph does not develop into a comparison or conclusion. Some connections are awkward or unclear, particularly “at the second place” and “the rest 8% is secured by distance learners.” The opening sentence does not provide a useful overview of the information that follows. Organise the response into an introduction, an overview of the main patterns, and separate detail paragraphs for the chart and table; use links to show meaningful comparisons rather than simply adding another fact.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-related vocabulary, including “accounted for,” “percentage,” “satisfaction,” and “highly and moderately content,” so the reader can generally identify the subject of each section. There is also an attempt to vary wording rather than repeat “users.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “past-time postgraduates” should be “part-time postgraduates,” “secured” does not fit a percentage share, and “services and faculty of library” misrepresents the table’s categories. Spelling errors such as “descritption” and “dissatified” also reduce precision. Aim for standard chart language and accurate labels, for example “represented,” “rated,” and “library services.” This would make the limited range more effective and prevent word-choice problems from obscuring the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You produce several understandable simple sentences and attempt more complex forms, for example, “Among all the categories, full-time undergraduates accounted for the majority of the chart.” The main figures remain readable despite grammatical problems. However, control is inconsistent: “The findings … is given” has subject–verb disagreement, while “the lowest percentage is accounted by academic staff” has an incomplete passive construction. The opening also uses an awkward singular verb with “findings,” and punctuation spacing is inconsistent, as in the spaces before commas and full stops. Most sentences follow similar simple patterns, so the range is limited. Practise accurate agreement and passive forms, and use a mix of concise comparisons and complex sentences, such as “Although undergraduates formed the largest group, academic staff accounted for only 7%.”

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