Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-30

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 5.0)

Here is a pie chart and a table representing different types of library users and their satisfaction in percentage.

The pie chart indicates that a major portion of users are full time undergraduates and the smallest number of users are academic staff, whereas, from the table, a small portion of dissatisfaction was noticed on other library services but the opening hours of the library and helpfulness.

The pie chart gives the percentage of library users in different categories at a university. The higest number of users are the full time undergraduates, which is 44% and full time postgraduates are in second position with 1 fourth

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify two relevant headline features: full-time undergraduates form the largest group, and academic staff are the smallest. You also begin to compare satisfaction, noting that opening hours and staff helpfulness attract little dissatisfaction. However, the report is incomplete and covers only a small part of the data: it gives no accurate figure for the second-largest user group, and does not describe the remaining user categories or compare satisfaction across books, journals and Wi-Fi. The phrase “1 fourth” is also unclear and does not report the postgraduate figure accurately. The response is 45 words below the required minimum, which contributes to the limited coverage. To improve, provide a clear overview and select key figures from both visuals.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response, beginning with an introduction and then referring to the chart and table. Linking expressions such as “whereas” and “from the table” show an effort to connect information. However, the ideas do not develop in a clear sequence: the second paragraph repeats the chart’s purpose and largest category rather than moving on to the other figures, and the response ends abruptly. The opening sentence also combines both visuals without establishing a clear overview. Use separate, purposeful paragraphs—for example, an introduction and overview followed by one paragraph on user categories and another on satisfaction—and use comparisons to guide the reader through the data.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses some relevant task vocabulary, including “percentage,” “categories,” “dissatisfaction,” and “full time undergraduates,” so the topic is generally understandable. There is also an attempt to describe ranking with “major portion” and “smallest number.” However, several choices are imprecise or awkward for reporting data: “a small portion of dissatisfaction was noticed” is unnatural, and “in second position with 1 fourth” does not clearly express a percentage. “Higest” is misspelled, and “full time” should be written as “full-time” when used as a compound adjective. Aim for precise chart language such as “accounted for,” “represented,” and “the second-largest group,” and use the exact figures to support these descriptions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You produce some understandable sentence forms, including the comparison in “the smallest number of users are academic staff, whereas…” and the relative clause “which is 44%.” These show an attempt to combine ideas rather than relying only on short statements. However, control is uneven. In “a pie chart and a table representing different types … and their satisfaction in percentage,” the relationship between the visuals and the information is not expressed smoothly. The sentence beginning “The higest number of users are…” also has a subject–verb agreement problem: “number” takes “is.” The second paragraph ends with an incomplete construction, “with 1 fourth,” leaving the comparison unfinished. Use complete sentences and check agreement, articles and sentence boundaries.

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

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