Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-04

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 given pie chart, along with the table chart, mentions some essential information regarding the results of a survey of library users at a university. This survey compares the variety of library users and their satisfaction.

The most significant proportion of library users are full-time undergraduates, at 44%. The next category is full-time postgraduates at 25%. On the other hand, the small numbers of users are part-time postgraduates and distance learning students at 16% and 8%. Surprisingly, the lowest is academic staff they only use the library at 7%.

On the table chart, we can summarise that users are extremely satisfied with the helpfulness of staff at 95%. Moreover, their satisfaction with library opening hours, availability of books, reliability of Wi-Fi, and availability of journals came in grading from high percentage to low percentage at these numbers: 65, 50, 48, and 45. But it seems that users are not satisfied for the library's different services are only in low proportions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the largest user group correctly (full-time undergraduates, 44%) and report the other user shares accurately. You also select relevant satisfaction results, including the 95% very satisfied with staff helpfulness and the ranking of the other services. However, the overview is incomplete: it does not clearly summarise the main contrast between satisfaction categories, and the final claim that dissatisfaction is in “low proportions” is too general without reporting the notable 20% dissatisfied with journals and 19% with Wi-Fi. The table’s figures are presented as very-satisfied scores, but the fairly and not-satisfied results are largely omitted. The response is also one word below the 150-word minimum; the 11 words copied from the task prompt do not count. Develop the overview and include key contrasts across the table.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear basic sequence: it first describes the user categories and then turns to satisfaction, with separate paragraphs helping the reader distinguish the two visuals. Linking phrases such as “On the other hand” and “Moreover” also show an attempt to connect information. However, the progression within the table paragraph is less clear: the four percentages are listed in a single sentence without explaining what they measure, and the final sentence makes a broad claim rather than developing the comparison. “Surprisingly” does not establish a meaningful relationship between the figures. Use a concise overview and group the satisfaction results by high and lower ratings, with clear references to the relevant categories.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “proportion,” “satisfaction,” “helpfulness,” and “availability,” and the reader can generally understand the comparisons. Some choices are imprecise or unnatural, however. “The table chart” is redundant, “came in grading” does not naturally describe percentages, and “the small numbers of users” is less suitable than language referring to proportions or shares. “Extremely satisfied” also overstates the chart’s label, which is “very satisfied.” Aim for accurate, conventional collocations and use the chart’s categories consistently. For example, describe the figures as the percentage who were very satisfied, rather than as a general measure of satisfaction.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, and most of the intended meaning remains understandable. There are some errors in sentence construction and grammatical control. In “the lowest is academic staff they only use the library at 7%,” two clauses are joined without suitable punctuation or a conjunction; “academic staff” also needs a clearer grammatical frame, such as “the smallest group is academic staff.” The final sentence, “users are not satisfied for the library’s different services are only in low proportions,” has an unclear clause relationship and does not form a controlled sentence. Check clause boundaries, articles, and sentence patterns when comparing data. More accurate complex sentences would make the relationships between figures clearer.

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