Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-27
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 compares the number of participants in various categories which took part at one social center in Australia, Melbourne from 2000 to 2020. Overall, the film club category followed the trend most and accounted for the largest contribution from 2000 to 2020. Meanwhile, the table tennis has also risen gradually in the number of participants and saw a substantial increase in participants by 2010. The martial arts participants were less than 40 in 2000, saw a slight increase in 2010. In 2000, there were only four categories in which the highest number of participants was from the film club. In the year 2005, the musical performances category made the entry and steadily increased the number of participants over the period of time. The table tennis had less participants in the starting year but in upcoming years they had a substantial increase in the number of participants. In contrast, the amateur dramatics had a sharp decrease from 2005 to 2020. The martial arts category followed the trend of increase and decrease.
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 response covers the main features of the graph, such as the dominance of the film club and the decline of amateur dramatics. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. You mention that the film club 'followed the trend most', which is vague, and you fail to provide specific data points (e.g., numbers or years) to support your claims. The description of the martial arts category as following a 'trend of increase and decrease' is too general. To reach a higher band, you must select and report key data points to illustrate the trends more precisely, rather than just describing the direction of the lines.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into a single paragraph, which makes it difficult to follow. IELTS Academic Task 1 responses should ideally be structured with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs to group related information logically. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Meanwhile' and 'In contrast', the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical. The progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed, as you jump between categories without a clear thematic or chronological structure. Implementing clear paragraphing and using a wider variety of linking words would significantly improve the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'substantial increase', 'sharp decrease', and 'accounted for'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'followed the trend most' is not a standard way to describe a graph, and 'made the entry' is unnatural in this context. You rely on some repetitive phrasing, such as 'number of participants', which appears frequently. To improve, try to use more varied synonyms and ensure that your collocations are natural and precise for describing statistical data.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the table tennis has also risen' (should be 'participation in table tennis' or 'the number of participants in table tennis') and 'had less participants' (should be 'fewer participants'). Additionally, there are issues with article usage and sentence construction, such as 'the martial arts participants were less than 40'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to lower the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of countable versus uncountable nouns will help.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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