The chart and table below show the results of a survey of library users at a university.
Sample Response
The pie chart categorises the users of a university library, while the table gives their levels of satisfaction with five library services.
Overall, full-time undergraduates made up the largest group by a considerable margin, whereas academic staff and distance learners were the smallest categories. Library users were particularly pleased with staff helpfulness, although satisfaction with journals and wi-fi was less positive.
Full-time undergraduate students represented 44% of all users. This was almost twice the figure for full-time postgraduates, at 25%. Part-time postgraduate students accounted for a further 16%, while distance learners using all courses formed 8%. Academic staff were the least common library users, at only 7%.
Regarding services, 95% of respondents were very satisfied with the helpfulness of staff, and none were dissatisfied. Opening hours also received positive opinions, with 65% very satisfied and the remaining 35% fairly satisfied. By comparison, only half of users were very satisfied with book availability, and 10% were not satisfied. The lowest very satisfied figures were for journals (45%) and wi-fi reliability (48%). These two services also had the highest dissatisfied proportions, at 20% and 19% respectively.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Describe the chart precisely Original: categorises the users Suggested revision: shows the distribution of users Why it matters: A pie chart displays proportions rather than merely assigning users to categories.
- 2. Clarify the reference Original: their levels of satisfaction Suggested revision: users' satisfaction levels Why it matters: The possessive noun makes clear whose satisfaction the table reports.
- 3. Distinguish the rankings Original: academic staff and distance learners were the smallest categories Suggested revision: academic staff and distance learners were the two smallest groups Why it matters: The chart shows different shares of 7% and 8%, so they are the two smallest rather than jointly the smallest.
- 4. Remove vague addition Original: accounted for a further 16% Suggested revision: accounted for 16% Why it matters: Further suggests a running total even though each group has an independent share.
- 5. Correct the category label Original: distance learners using all courses Suggested revision: distance learners across all courses Why it matters: The chart's label covers distance learning across all courses, not learners using every course.
- 6. Use data collocation Original: formed 8% Suggested revision: accounted for 8% Why it matters: Accounted for is the natural collocation for a group's share of a total.
- 7. Name the measure accurately Original: received positive opinions Suggested revision: received high satisfaction ratings Why it matters: The table measures satisfaction levels rather than general opinions.
- 8. Clarify the statistic Original: The lowest very satisfied figures Suggested revision: The lowest proportions of very satisfied users Why it matters: Proportions of users accurately identifies what the percentages represent.
- 9. Match the table label Original: highest dissatisfied proportions Suggested revision: highest proportions of users who were not satisfied Why it matters: This wording accurately reflects the table's not satisfied response category.
Suggested Rewrites
- categorises the users shows the distribution of users
- their levels of satisfaction users' satisfaction levels
- academic staff and distance learners were the smallest categories academic staff and distance learners were the two smallest groups
- accounted for a further 16% accounted for 16%
- distance learners using all courses distance learners across all courses
- formed 8% accounted for 8%
Why this response received Band 8.0
The report is strongest in its accurate, well-selected coverage of both visuals, supported by a clear overview and well-judged comparisons. The main limitation is that a few descriptions are slightly awkward or broad, particularly the wording for distance learners and the summary of less positive services; refining these expressions and making the contrast between satisfaction categories more exact would improve precision.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Achievement
The report accurately identifies the major features of both visuals and supports its clear overview with relevant figures and comparisons.
Make the service comparison still more comprehensive by briefly contrasting the fairly satisfied proportions for the least positively rated services.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information is organised logically by visual, with clear paragraphing and smooth progression from overview to detailed comparisons.
Strengthen the final paragraph's internal grouping by more explicitly moving from the highest satisfaction results to the weaker services.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is varied and generally precise, although phrases such as distance learners using all courses and received positive opinions are slightly awkward.
Use more exact category labels and natural survey-reporting collocations, such as distance-learning students across all courses and attracted high satisfaction ratings.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The report uses a varied range of complex comparative structures with consistently accurate grammar and punctuation.
Preserve this strong control while varying the repeated percentage-reporting patterns to make the prose more flexible.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The chart and table below show the results of a survey of library users at a university.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.