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 multi-line graph illustrates the number of participants in five activities at one social centre in Melbourne, Australia, between 2000 and 2020.
Overall, the film club responsible for the highest number of participants. While amateur dramatics represented downward trend. Moreover, table tennis constituted the most significant growth over the given period.
With respect to Film club, it began with the highest number of participants at approximately 65. Film club experienced a slight dip in 2010 at 60 before recovering and reached at the peak of approximately 68. In contrast, amateur dramatics just began with approximately 26 in 2000 and the numbers rose marginally, from 26 to 30 in 2005. After that, the participation declined sharply and hit a low of roughly 10.
In terms of martial arts, the figure fluctuated between 30 to 40 members throughout the year. Conversely, the table tennis experience the most dramatic change. In 2000, just approximately 16 participants joined social centre for table tennis. The number climbed steadily for next 10 years, marked over 20. Year 2010 onwards, table tennis experienced dramatic surge, made it the second-highest activity over the given period. The number of participants increased from 20 to approximately 60 in 2020. Moreover, musical performance has no recored in first five years. Eventually, after 2005, participants grew gradually and made it the second lowest roughly over 20 participants
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response successfully covers all major features of the provided graph, identifying the trends and providing comparative data across the different activities. The overview paragraph accurately highlights the film club's prominence and table tennis's significant growth. Key data points, such as peak numbers and starting figures, are appropriately cited and compared. However, there are minor lapses in precision regarding specific data details, such as missing the exact timeframes for some fluctuations and minor inaccuracies in quoting figures (e.g., describing martial arts as fluctuating between 30 and 40 throughout the year instead of years). Despite these minor flaws, the task is fully addressed with well-selected information, aligning closely with the requirements of a Band 6.5 to 7.0 descriptor. Overall, the ideas are sufficiently extended and supported throughout the report.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The report demonstrates a clear overall progression, with a logical arrangement of information divided into an introduction, an overview, and distinct body paragraphs dedicated to specific activities. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'With respect to', 'In contrast', and 'Conversely'. However, paragraphing and referencing are occasionally faulty or mechanical. For instance, the sentence structure in the overview contains grammatical gaps ('responsible for the highest number of participants' lacks a main verb), which affects smooth cohesion. Furthermore, some transitional phrases feel slightly repetitive or clumsy. Overall organisation is coherent, but the execution of cohesion places it solidly in the Band 6 category.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully attempting less common lexical items such as 'fluctuated', 'surge', and 'marginally'. However, there are several word choice and collocation errors that hinder precision, such as 'the film club responsible for the highest number', 'table tennis experience the most dramatic change', and 'has no recored'. Additionally, grammatical forms of words are sometimes confused, as seen in 'represented downward trend' instead of 'represented a downward trend'. While these errors do not severely impede communication, they restrict the lexical score to a Band 6, as the vocabulary lacks the flexibility and control required for higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses and comparative structures. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in verb forms, articles, and prepositions, such as 'reached at the peak', 'amateur dramatics just began', 'throughout the year' (referring to a multi-year graph), and 'joined social centre'. Moreover, the overview contains a major structural error: 'the film club responsible for the highest number of participants', which lacks a finite verb. Although meaning remains mostly clear despite these errors, the frequency of grammatical slips prevents the response from achieving a Band 6.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.