Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-06
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The graph below gives information on the numbers of participants for different activities at one social centre in Melbourne, Australia for the period 2000 to 2020.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
The line graph shows the information on the numbers of participants for different activities at one social center in Melbourne, Australia for the period 2000 to 2020. At a glance, it is observed that the popularity of the film club almost remained the same over the years.
Overall, it is observed that there are mainly five kinds of activities given namely film club, martial arts, amateur dramatics, table tennis and musical performances.
It is observed that the highest popularity was of the film club which had almost 65 participants at the starting of the year 2000 and had slight decline of 60 participants in the year 2010 and remained 65 in the year 2020. In the martial arts the ratio of the participants kept on fluctuating over 20 years.
In the amateur dramatics there were around 28 participants in the year 2000 and it is observed that till year 2010 there was great decline in the no of participants after the year 2010 and the participants were almost 5 in the year 2020.
In the table tennis there was high demand after the year 2010 and in the musical performances there was no participation in the year 2000 and people start engaging in the year 2005 and got increase over 2020 and reached to almost 20 participants.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main trends for each activity. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, integrated overview. While you mention the film club, you fail to highlight the most significant changes, such as the dramatic rise in table tennis or the sharp decline in amateur dramatics. The data reporting is occasionally inaccurate; for instance, you state the film club had 65 participants in 2000 and 60 in 2010, but the graph shows a different trend. To reach a higher band, ensure your data points are precise and focus on comparing the activities rather than listing them individually.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is repetitive and somewhat mechanical. Phrases like 'It is observed that' are used at the start of almost every paragraph, which makes the writing feel formulaic. There is a lack of variety in linking words to show contrast or progression between the different activities. To improve, try using a wider range of transition signals such as 'In contrast,' 'Conversely,' or 'Meanwhile' to connect your ideas more fluidly and demonstrate a more sophisticated logical flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. You rely heavily on simple verbs like 'had', 'remained', and 'got'. There is an attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary, but it is limited. For example, you use 'fluctuating' correctly, which is a positive sign. However, phrases like 'the highest popularity was of the film club' are slightly unnatural. To improve, incorporate more precise academic vocabulary related to trends, such as 'experienced a downward trend', 'peaked at', or 'remained relatively stable', to demonstrate a more flexible range of language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include incorrect article usage ('the highest popularity was of the film club'), awkward phrasing ('at the starting of the year 2000'), and missing prepositions. Some sentences are also slightly disjointed, such as 'there was great decline in the no of participants after the year 2010 and the participants were almost 5 in the year 2020.' While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and more accurate preposition use.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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