Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-17
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 the number of participants in various activities of who participates in five different activities at one social centre in Melbourne, Australia, between 2000 and 2020.
Overall, it is evident that the film club consistently attracted the highest number of attendees throughout the period, despite some minor fluctuations. Martial arts fluctuated considerably, whereas amateur dramatics followed a downward trend. Furthermore, table tennis experienced the most substantial growth and musical performances increased gradually.
In 2000, the film club had approximately 64 participants, making it most dominant activity, followed by martial arts and amateur dramatics at 36 and 26, respectively. Comparatively, table tennis was less popular at 16 in 2000. Over the following decade, the numbers attending film club slightly declined by 60 in 2010. By contrast, martial arts fluctuated 32 to 37 in 2005 and 2010, while table tennis gradually increased and slightly dropped by 20 in 2010 and then dramatically surged over the following period.
In 2010, the number of participants of table tennis and amateur dramatics were equal at 20, and then table tennis experienced significant growth, while amateur dramatics fell considerably. By 2005, musical performances increased steadily by 12 in 2010, 16 in 2015 and finally 19 in 2020.
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 candidate successfully covers all parts of the task by presenting a clear overview and reporting the main trends and data points from the chart. The introduction is slightly clumsy due to a grammatical slip ("in various activities of who participates in"), but the body paragraphs effectively highlight the dominance of the film club, the fluctuations in martial arts, the steady decline in amateur dramatics, and the dramatic growth in table tennis. Key data points are cited accurately, such as the initial figures for 2000 and the crossover points. However, there are minor confusions in data reporting, such as saying "declined by 60 in 2010" instead of "declined to 60", and the temporal sequencing in the final paragraph contains a slight contradiction regarding the year 2005. Despite these minor slips, the main features are well-selected and adequately supported.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organised into an introduction, an overall summary paragraph, and two body paragraphs covering the specific data. Cohesive devices are used adequately to guide the reader through the comparisons, using phrases such as "Overall, it is evident", "Furthermore", and "By contrast". Paragraphing is handled appropriately, with the overview clearly separated from the detailed data. However, referencing and transitions are occasionally mechanical or slightly awkward, such as the abrupt transition into the final paragraph ("By 2005, musical performances increased steadily..."), which disrupts the chronological progression. Overall progression is clear, but cohesive control falls short of Band 7.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common lexical items such as "fluctuated considerably", "downward trend", and "dramatically surged". There are, however, instances of awkward phrasing and word-choice errors, such as "most dominant activity" (missing an article) and the phrasing "declined by 60" when meaning "declined to 60". While these errors do not impede overall communication, they demonstrate a lack of precision that prevents the score from reaching the higher bands. Spelling throughout the response is accurate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The candidate attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and subordinate clauses (e.g., "Martial arts fluctuated considerably, whereas amateur dramatics followed a downward trend"). There are several noticeable grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, most notably in the opening sentence ("in various activities of who participates in") and prepositions or verb complements in the body (e.g., "fluctuated 32 to 37", "dropped by 20 in 2010"). While these errors occasionally cause minor confusion, they do not impede the overall flow of information, supporting a Band 6.0 rating.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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