Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-04

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 provides data about the numbers of participants for five different activities at a social center in Melbourne, Australia, for the period of twenty years: 2000 to 2020.

Overall, three activities showed an upward trend, while the table tennis category stabilized, and the amateur dramatics class witnessed a downward trend throughout the period of a decade.

Firstly, the film club slightly declined from 64 participants in 2000 to around 60 in 2005 and then fell to 60 in 2010. Additionally, the number of martial arts participants dropped from 37 in 2000 to 31 in 2005 as compared to a slight increase and a move to 39 participants in 2010. Moreover, the amateur dramatics category pumped a little bit from 27 in 2000 to 29 participants in 2005. In 2015, the amateur faced decline and stayed at 20. In addition, table tennis participants increased from 18 in 2000 to 20 in 2010 and remained the same in 2015. From 2000 to 2005, there was no participation in musical performances, but there was a sharp increase in the number of participants to 12 in 2010.

In 2015, musical performance surpassed table tennis and jumped to about 17 participants, while martial arts surpassed amateur dramatics and moved to approximately 36 participants and reached about 52 at the end of the period. Film club followed the upward trajectory from 2015 to 2010 and climbed to 65 participants in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview. However, the report contains several inaccuracies regarding the data. For example, you state the amateur dramatics category 'witnessed a downward trend throughout the period of a decade', but the graph shows data for two decades. Furthermore, your description of the film club's trajectory is confusing, as you mention a decline to 60 in 2010, but the graph shows a different pattern. You also struggle with chronological consistency, such as mentioning 2015 before 2010 in the final paragraph. To improve, ensure you carefully cross-reference your statements with the visual data and maintain a consistent chronological flow.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Additionally', and 'In addition' to link ideas. However, the logical progression is sometimes hindered by the inaccurate reporting of data and confusing sequencing of years. For instance, the final paragraph jumps between 2015, 2010, and 2020 in a way that makes the timeline difficult to follow. Improving the logical flow between sentences and ensuring that time markers are used in a strictly chronological order would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'upward trend', 'stabilized', and 'surpassed'. However, there are instances of awkward or imprecise word choices, such as 'the amateur faced decline' (referring to the category) and 'pumped a little bit', which is too informal for an academic report. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, you need to focus on using more precise, academic collocations and avoiding informal phrasing to reach a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the amateur faced decline' (missing a noun like 'category') and 'as compared to a slight increase and a move to 39 participants', which is syntactically awkward. Additionally, there are issues with tense consistency and preposition usage. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to suggest a need for more careful proofreading and a better grasp of complex sentence construction to ensure accuracy.

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

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