Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-21
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 graph gives information about the number of participants for different activities at one social centre in Melbourne, Australia from year 2000 to 2020. According to the graph there are 5 activities in total named as Film club, Martial Arts, Amateur dramatics, Table tennis and musical performances.
The number of participants of film club increased from 65 to 70 in all these years and it shows that it was the highly preffered activity, however, the number of participants of martial arts increased 35-40. Alongside, the participants of amateur dramatics decreased from 25-10; this shows that the participants had least interest in this activity as compared to all others. Moreover, the table tennis participants also increased from 15 - 55 in these years and the music performance participants increased from 0 to 15 in all these years.
In conclusion, the most active number of participants is in film club and also gradually increasing in table tennis club; so these are the activities that are more preferred by the people around in Melbourne, Australia.
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
The response covers all activities mentioned in the graph and provides a basic overview. However, the analysis is quite superficial and lacks a clear 'overview' paragraph that highlights the most significant trends (e.g., the dramatic rise in table tennis versus the decline in amateur dramatics). The reporting of data is somewhat mechanical, simply listing figures rather than synthesizing them into meaningful comparisons. To reach a higher band, you should group the trends (e.g., those that increased versus those that decreased) and ensure the main features are clearly identified in the introduction or a dedicated overview paragraph.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into three paragraphs, which is appropriate for a report. There is a logical progression from the introduction to the body and a brief conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and mechanical (e.g., 'The number of participants...'). The transition between sentences could be smoother to improve the flow of information. While the paragraphing is sufficient, the internal cohesion within the body paragraph is limited, making the text feel like a list of facts rather than a cohesive analytical report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely heavily on basic verbs like 'increased' and 'decreased'. There are also some minor errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'preffered' (preferred) and the phrasing 'most active number of participants', which is not natural English. To improve, try to incorporate a wider range of synonyms for change, such as 'fluctuated', 'surged', 'plummeted', or 'remained stable', and use more precise collocations to describe data trends.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'from year 2000 to 2020' (missing 'the'), 'increased 35-40' (missing 'from' and 'to'), and 'participants of film club' (missing 'the'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on consistent use of articles and correct prepositional phrases when describing data ranges would significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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