Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-12

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 describes the number of participants involved in various activities at one social media centre in the capital of Australia, Melbourne for the years 2000 to 2020.

Overall, the graph gives the information about sudden rise and fall in number of members in the 5 different years. Musical performances and table tennis showed the dramatic increase while amateur dramatics represent the sudden fall. However, martial arts and film club remains almost same.

At first, Musical performances started in 2005 with zero number of participants but it continuously rises and reaches with almost 20 competitors in the year 2020.Also, table tennis showed the dramatic growth as it started with numbers between 10 to 20 in year 2000 and stopped at number between 50 to 60 in the year 2020.

Also, amateur dramatics represented the sudden fall as it started with numbers near to 30 in 2000 and ended at numbers less than 10 having year 2020. However, film club and martial arts remained the same with numbers between 60 to 70 and 30 to 40 started in 2000 and stopped in 2020 respectively

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The candidate successfully covers all parts of the task by identifying the main trends and making relevant comparisons across the categories. The overview section highlights the general trajectories well, noting dramatic increases, sudden falls, and stable trends. Key features such as the rise of musical performances and table tennis, as well as the decline in amateur dramatics, are clearly reported with specific reference to data points from the graph. While some specific figures are slightly approximated or stated as ranges (e.g., numbers between 50 to 60), the overall information is accurately conveyed and effectively summarised. This performance aligns comfortably with the Band 6 descriptor, as all parts of the task are addressed with relevant main features, though some minor mechanical reporting is present.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement with a distinct introduction, an overview paragraph, and two body paragraphs detailing specific activities. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different trends. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas, such as "Overall", "At first", and "Also", although some transitions feel a bit repetitive or mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional awkward phrasing affects the flow. Progression is maintained throughout the text, allowing the reader to follow the descriptions of the chart without difficulty. This demonstrates the characteristics of Band 6, featuring a coherent overall structure despite some mechanical cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as "participants", "dramatic increase", "sudden fall", and "trajectories" equivalents like "rises". There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as referring to a social centre as a "social media centre" and using "competitors" instead of "participants". However, these lexical errors do not impede communication. Less common vocabulary items are attempted with mixed success. Overall, the lexical range is sufficient to convey the main features of the chart, fitting the Band 6 descriptor well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures such as subordinate clauses ("as it started with numbers near to 30"). There are several grammatical errors and awkward prepositions throughout the text, such as "gives the information about sudden rise", "reaches with almost 20", and "ended at numbers less than 10 having year 2020". Punctuation is generally acceptable, and despite the recurring grammatical slips and awkward phrasing, the errors rarely impede overall communication. This performance aligns well with the Band 6 criteria for grammatical range and accuracy.

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

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