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 represents data of five activities over a period of twenty years from 2000 to 2020 in which population of Melbourne, Australia took part in at one social centre.
Overall, film club category dominated other categories with highest number of participants whereas amateur dramatics observed a downward trend becoming the lowest chosen activity. Table tennis depicts an upward trend with tremendous growth.
Film club started at 63 participants in 2000 even though it had fluctuations each year but it rose to 65 participants in 2020. Amateur dramatics became the least popular activity in 2020 reaching 8 participants whereas it started off with 26 participants in 2000.
The only category that observed slight changes was martial arts at 47 participants in 2020. Furthermore, table tennis depicts substantial growth in the year 2010 and rose to 55 participants in 2020 in Melbourne whereas musical performance which had no trace showed population interest reaching at 18 participants in 2020.
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 provides a clear overview of the main trends and selects key features for comparison. You successfully identified the dominant category (film club) and the downward trend of amateur dramatics. However, the report lacks precision in data reporting. For instance, stating the film club had 'fluctuations each year' is a vague observation that does not accurately reflect the graph's specific data points. Additionally, the description of martial arts as having 'slight changes' is imprecise given the specific values. To improve, ensure that every trend mentioned is supported by accurate data points from the graph to provide a more comprehensive summary.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is logically organized into paragraphs, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'furthermore', and 'even though' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the transition into the discussion of martial arts. The structure is sufficient to follow your argument, but more sophisticated linking words and better paragraph transitions would enhance the overall coherence of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'dominated', 'downward trend', and 'tremendous growth'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'no trace showed population interest' and 'category dominated other categories'. These errors do not impede communication, but they limit the precision of your writing. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing when describing trends and data points.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'population of Melbourne... took part in at one social centre' (preposition error) and 'reached at 18 participants' (unnecessary preposition). Additionally, there are minor issues with article usage and sentence construction. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a greater focus on grammatical accuracy in complex structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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