Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-13

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 illustrate the information on the numbers of participants for different activities at single social center in Melbourne.

There are multiple activities such as table tennis, film club and martial arts. The period of time is between 2000 and 2020. Film club starts from highest number.

The film club starts from 63 number and remain same till 2020. The martial arts starts from 35 and get fluctuated and end with same number. Amateur dramatics starts with medium number but from 2010 it gets drastically decreased and end being lowest number of participants. Table tennis begin with 13 number but from 2010 is incredibly increase and reach at 52. Lastly, musical performances start from year 2005 and slowly rose with 12 number.

There is intersection between amateur dramatics and table tennis in 2010. The film club and martial arts starts with number and remain same in the end. At last, only a musical performances starts a year late and has continue increase flow.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all the main features of the graph, including the trends for each activity. However, the reporting is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear overview. While you identify the starting and ending points, the analysis is descriptive rather than analytical. For example, stating 'Film club starts from 63 number' is repetitive. To improve, you should group the trends more effectively (e.g., those that increased versus those that decreased) and provide a more cohesive summary of the overall patterns rather than listing each activity individually. The inclusion of the intersection point is a good attempt at comparison, but the overall development of the data is basic.

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 limited and sometimes repetitive (e.g., 'starts from', 'starts with'). The progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed, as the transition between sentences feels like a list of facts rather than a flowing report. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the final paragraph where 'starts with number' is vague. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words like 'conversely', 'meanwhile', or 'subsequently' to connect your observations more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You rely on basic verbs like 'starts', 'get', and 'end'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'incredibly increase' and 'continue increase flow'. To reach a higher band, you should use more precise academic vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'remained stable', 'experienced a sharp decline', or 'showed a steady upward trend'. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility needed for higher scores.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with subject-verb agreement and article usage. For example, 'The line graph illustrate' should be 'illustrates', and 'a musical performances' should be 'musical performances'. Additionally, sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited use of complex sentences. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors and the lack of structural variety hinder the flow of the writing. Focusing on correct verb forms and using more complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses or subordinating conjunctions, will significantly improve your score.

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

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