Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-16
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 illustrates information on the number of participants for different activities at one social centre in Melbourne, Australia, for the period 2000 to 2020.
Overall, Film Club holds a magnificent record and has remained on top. In addition to Table tennis, it has also risen over the years and surpassed every other activity. Whereas Amateur dramatics fell continuously.
In the line chart, the graph of Film Club has been fluctuating and has remained around 67 participants from 2000 to 2020, in addition to Material Arts, it has also been variable and has been around 36 participants in 2020, whereas in Table tennis, there was a great rise in the number of participants, and it has surpassed the other activity and conquered the second top rank, with participants numbering around 56 in 2020 from 19 in 2000.
The Musical performances started in 2005, and they also became popular in the following years. The number of participants has been around 19 in 2020, whereas in only one activity, the participants became fewer with time, and went from 31 to around 8 participants, which was a great drawback. It also demonstrates the interest of people in different activities.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student covers the main activities presented in the graph and attempts an overview, but the selection of features lacks precision. The overview states that Film Club 'holds a magnificent record', which is overly informal and subjective language for an academic task. Furthermore, several data points are inaccurately reported; for instance, the student claims Film Club remained around 67 participants, whereas it started at 64, dipped slightly, and ended at 66. The description of 'Material Arts' (Martial arts) and Amateur dramatics contains inaccurate figures (e.g., stating Amateur dramatics went from 31 instead of 26). While the overall trends—such as the rise of Table tennis and the decline of Amateur dramatics—are identified, the lack of data precision places this part of the response at Band 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is divided into paragraphs, attempting an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the trends. However, the logical progression is hindered by awkward transitions and confusing sentence structures. Phrases like 'In addition to Table tennis, it has also risen' and 'whereas in only one activity' create ambiguity regarding which trend is being discussed. Cohesive devices are used mechanically and sometimes inaccurately, such as misusing 'whereas' where a simple contrast or listing would suffice. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion within the body paragraphs is weak, resulting in a disjointed flow that affects readability.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, successfully using functional terms like 'illustrates', 'participants', 'fluctuating', and 'surpassed'. However, there are instances of inappropriate tone and lexical choice, such as describing Film Club's data as a 'magnificent record', calling the decline a 'great drawback', and misspelling 'Martial arts' as 'Material Arts'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success and precision. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey basic meaning, errors in word choice and collocation prevent the response from achieving a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The line graph illustrates information on...' and 'whereas in Table tennis, there was a great rise...'. However, grammatical control is inconsistent. There are issues with subject-verb agreement, awkward prepositions, and run-on sentences containing multiple clauses joined loosely by commas and conjunctions (e.g., 'The number of participants has been around 19 in 2020, whereas in only one activity, the participants became fewer with time...'). Tense usage is also mixed inappropriately between past and present. These errors cause some difficulty for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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