Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-31
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 results of the survey of the people who use the library at the university.
Overall, we have a pie chart and a table. The pie chart illustrate the categories of library users, whereas the table shows the percentage of library users satisfaction.
The pie chart shows the types of users in the library. The largest number of users are full-time undergraduates, which is 44%. Full-time postgraduates are the second number and are 25%, then comes the part-time postgraduate and distance learning, which are 16% and 8%. Academic staff shares the lowest percentage of 7%.
The table shows the percentage of library users satisfaction followed by very satisfied, fairly satisfied, and not satisfied. Library opening hours for very satisfied people is 65 percent, which highest as compared to others. Whereas, helpfulness of staff is at 95 percent, which is the highest among all. Moreover, availability of books and journals are also high for satisfied users. Helpfulness of staff satisfaction is most popular among all.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify both visuals and report several key figures accurately, including the largest user group (full-time undergraduates, 44%) and the highest very-satisfied result (staff helpfulness, 95%). However, the overview mainly repeats that one visual is a pie chart and the other a table, rather than summarising the main patterns. The satisfaction data are only partly covered: you mention opening hours, staff, books and journals, but omit wi-fi and most fairly/not-satisfied figures. The claim that opening hours has the highest very-satisfied result is inaccurate; staff helpfulness is highest. Develop a clearer overview and compare the satisfaction categories more precisely, including the low dissatisfaction for opening hours and staff and the higher dissatisfaction for journals and wi-fi.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the chart and table. This makes the two sources easy to distinguish, and sequencing the user groups from largest to smaller shares is helpful. However, the overview repeats the introduction instead of guiding the reader through the main findings. In the table paragraph, ideas are less clearly ordered: the opening-hours comparison is followed by staff helpfulness, then a broad statement about books and journals, and then staff helpfulness is repeated. Some linking, such as “Whereas” at the start of a sentence, feels mechanical or incomplete. Group the satisfaction results by notable similarities and contrasts, and use references and transitions to make those comparisons flow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant task vocabulary such as “categories,” “full-time undergraduates,” “availability,” and “satisfaction,” so the topic is generally clear. However, the range is limited and several phrases are awkward or imprecise, including “the second number,” “library users satisfaction,” and “most popular among all.” These choices sometimes make the intended comparison less natural, even though the reader can usually infer it. Use standard chart-reporting collocations and distinguish satisfaction levels from popularity. For example, describe a group as having the second-largest share, and say that a proportion of respondents were very satisfied. Avoid repeating “shows” and “satisfaction” where a more precise verb or noun can express the relationship.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt both simple and more developed sentences, including a relative clause in “The largest number of users are full-time undergraduates, which is 44%.” Most of the message remains understandable, but some errors in agreement, articles and sentence construction are noticeable. For example, “The pie chart illustrate” should use a plural verb, while “Academic staff shares” needs a plural verb or a singular subject such as “the proportion of academic staff.” The phrase “Library opening hours for very satisfied people is 65 percent” has an unclear grammatical relationship between the subject and the figure. “Whereas” is also used as a sentence opener without a complete contrast structure. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement and build comparisons in complete sentences.
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