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)

This line graph illustrates the various activities of different participants ranging from film club to musical performances sector in Melbourne and Australia between 2000 and 2020.

Overall, the highest number of participants took part in film club by 2000 to 2020. While a few participants that started their involvement in musical performances were from 15% to 20% between 2005 and 2020.

First of all, more participants were interested in film club ranging from approximately 65 to 67. Likewise, the participants in martial arts were slightly fluctuated between 2000 and 2020 in the range of 30s.

The people in amateur dramatics were drastically decreased in number from

25 to 5. While, the participants in table tennis increased from approximately 15 to 55 that shows a great fluctuation.

At last, some people just enrolled their selves in 2005 and continue to rise from 1 to 15.

In a nutshell, the majority of participants are interested in film club as compared to other social sectors. Conversely, the dramatic decrease in participants can be seen in amateur dramatics.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the graph, such as the popularity of the film club and the decline in amateur dramatics. However, the reporting of data is often inaccurate or confusing. For example, stating that the film club ranged from '65 to 67' is unclear given the graph's scale, and the description of musical performances as '15% to 20%' is problematic as the graph shows absolute numbers, not percentages. Additionally, the overview is somewhat disjointed, and the analysis lacks a clear comparison between the categories, which is essential for a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or misused. Phrases like 'First of all' and 'At last' are not appropriate for a data summary task. Furthermore, the transition between sentences is sometimes abrupt, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'some people just enrolled their selves in 2005', which lacks a clear subject reference to the specific activity being discussed.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward word choices, such as 'enrolled their selves' instead of 'enrolled themselves' or 'enrolled'. The use of 'sector' to describe social activities is slightly unnatural in this context. While the student attempts to use descriptive verbs like 'fluctuated' and 'decreased', the overall range is limited, and the reliance on simple phrasing prevents the response from demonstrating a more sophisticated command of language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include incorrect preposition usage (e.g., 'by 2000 to 2020'), subject-verb agreement errors, and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'the participants in martial arts were slightly fluctuated'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction often feels forced. To improve, the student should focus on mastering basic sentence patterns and ensuring that verb tenses are used consistently when describing past trends.

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

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