Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-14

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 6.5)

The line graph illustrates the number of participants in five activities between 2000 and 2020.

Overall, the film club remained the most popular activity throughout the period. Table tennis experienced the most significant growth, while amateur dramatics showed a decline. Musical performances also increased after 2005.

In 2000, around 64 people participated in the film club, compared with approximately 36 in martial arts and 26 in amateur dramatics. Table tennis had about 16 participants, while there were no participants in musical performances. In 2005, film club membership fell slightly to 62, while table tennis rose to 20.

By 2010, the number of film club participants had fallen to 60, whereas martial arts reached about 38. Table tennis remained at 20. After that, table tennis increased sharply, reaching around 36 in 2015 and 54 in 2020. In contrast, amateur dramatics fell to 6 participants, while musical performances rose to about 18.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student has successfully addressed all parts of the task by providing a clear overview and reporting the main trends and features of the data. The response effectively covers all five activities across the given time period, making relevant comparisons where appropriate. For instance, the overview accurately highlights that 'the film club remained the most popular activity' and that 'table tennis experienced the most significant growth.' Key data points, such as the participant numbers in 2000 and 2020, are correctly cited and contrasted. The information is accurate according to the visual data provided, and the response fulfils the requirements of Academic Task 1 well without unnecessary padding. This performance aligns comfortably with the Band 7 descriptor for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. The writing is divided into sensible paragraphs, starting with an introductory sentence, followed by a concise overall summary, and then structured body paragraphs detailing the specific years (2000-2005 and 2010-2020). Cohesive devices and time markers such as 'Overall', 'In 2000', 'By 2010', and 'In contrast' are used effectively to guide the reader through the data and establish clear relationships between the numbers. Reference words are handled well, ensuring that the comparisons between different activities remain easy to follow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate general trends from specific data points, meeting the criteria for a solid Band 7 score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student uses an adequate and appropriate range of vocabulary for this task. Terms related to data description such as 'fluctuated', 'fell slightly', 'rose', and 'increased sharply' are deployed correctly. Less common lexical items and collocations, such as 'most significant growth', 'participant numbers', and 'amateur dramatics', are used with reasonable accuracy. While the vocabulary is generally precise and fits the academic context well, it occasionally lacks the broader flexibility and sophistication of higher bands (for instance, relying on common verbs like 'increase' and 'fall'). However, there are no noticeable spelling errors or word-choice mistakes that impede communication, making this a clear Band 6.5 or 7.0; a score of 7.0 reflects the sufficient range and precision demonstrated.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The student exhibits a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses and prepositional phrases smoothly (e.g., 'While table tennis experienced the most significant growth, while amateur dramatics showed a decline' - though note a slight minor slip in conjunction use there, it remains clear). Grammatical accuracy is generally high, with the majority of sentences being error-free. Tense control is well maintained throughout the past-tense timeline, referring correctly to years between 2000 and 2020. Punctuation is accurate, and clause structures like 'compared with approximately 36 in martial arts' demonstrate control over elliptical structures. The control of grammar and punctuation places this writing securely in the Band 7 range.

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

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