Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-22
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 illustrates data on number of participants for various activities at a social event center in Melbourne, Australia from 2000 to 2020.
Overall, the film club remained the most popular activity throughout the period, while participation in amateur dramatics declined sharply. In contrast, table tennis and musical performances became increasingly popular. The number of people participating in martial arts fluctuated slightly.
In 2000, approximately 64 people involved in film club, making it the most popular activity. Although the figure fell gradually to 60 in 2010,it then increased to about 66 by 2020. Martial arts started at approximately 36 participants and decreased to 32 in 2005 before rising to 38 in 2010. It then fell slightly and finished around at 36 by 2020.
Participation in amateur dramatics was about 26 people in 2000 and rise slightly to 28 in 2005. However, it fell steadily to 20 in 2010, 14 in 2015 and only about 6 in 2020. By contrast, table tennis increased from around 16 participants in 2000 to 20 in 2005 and 2010, before rising sharply to 35 in 2015 and approximately 54 in 2020. Musical performances had no participants in 2000 and 2005, but it gradually increased to around 18 by 2020
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student effectively summarizes the main features of the graph and makes relevant comparisons, such as noting the popularity of the film club versus the decline in amateur dramatics. However, the report could be improved by providing a clearer overview and grouping trends more logically. The addition of specific figures is beneficial, but some details could be omitted or simplified to enhance clarity. Overall, the response addresses the task requirements but lacks some cohesion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The structure of the response is generally clear; however, coherence could be improved with better transitions between the activities discussed. For example, the shift from discussing film club to martial arts could be smoother with a linking phrase or sentence that guides the reader. Grouping related activities together could enhance the cohesiveness of the response. The overall flow is impacted by abrupt transitions, which detract from the overall readability.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with phrases like "increased sharply" and "remained the most popular" showing a good grasp of language typical for reports. However, more varied vocabulary would enhance the response. For example, using terms such as "surged" instead of "increased" could strengthen the expression. The choice of some words is quite basic, and the use of synonyms or more precise terms would elevate the lexical resource.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The grammatical range utilized is appropriate for the task, with a mix of simple and complex sentences. However, there are a few grammatical errors, such as missing articles (e.g., "approximately 64 people involved in film club" should be "approximately 64 people involved in the film club") and minor punctuation issues. While these do not significantly impede understanding, they prevent a higher score in this category. Overall, the grammatical accuracy is good but could benefit from minor corrections.
Overall feedback
Your response adequately summarizes the information from the graph and highlights key trends, which is a strong aspect of your writing. However, to improve, work on organizing your information more cohesively and ensuring smooth transitions between the different activities discussed. Use more varied vocabulary to make your report engaging, and check for minor grammatical errors that can affect your score. Aim to clearly articulate the progression of each activity's popularity, perhaps culminating in a comparative summary that ties the activities together.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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