Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-18
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 data on the number of participants in five different sports activities (Film Club, Martial Arts, Amateur Dramatics, Table Tennis, Musical Performances) at one social centre in the city of Melbourne, Australia between 2000 and 2020.
Overall, participant numbers in table tennis and musical performances showed a considerable increase, while Amateur Dramatics activity members declined over the period.
In 2000, the maxium number of contestants participated in Film Club which was around 65, which fluctuated over the time reach a peak of around 76 members. On the other hand, no one participated in Musical performances until 2005, after that the number grew significantly and reached at 25 in 2020.
Followed by table tennis, there were approx 17 participants in the starting year, which steadily increased and reach at same level with Amateur dramatics in 2010 with around 20 participants. After this, the number of contestants surged abruptly and reached on its peak with nearly 52 participants. The number of Martial arts members was around 38 in 2010, which fluctuated over the time and remained the same 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 student successfully covers all main trends and categories presented in the graph, presenting a clear overview that highlights the significant rise in table tennis and musical performances alongside the decline in amateur dramatics. Key features are selected and reported appropriately, such as mentioning that film club had the highest participation and that musical performances started at zero. However, there are some minor data inaccuracies in the body paragraphs; for example, the peak of the film club is misread as 76 (actual is around 66), and musical performances in 2020 reached 18 rather than 25. Despite these occasional data reading slips, the response satisfactorily addresses all parts of the task with relevant comparisons.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged logically with an introduction, an overall summary paragraph, and separate body paragraphs addressing different activities. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader through the data, such as "Overall", "In 2000", and "On the other hand". However, some referencing and logical transitions are slightly clunky or mechanical, such as "Followed by table tennis, there were approx 17 participants...", which awkwardly connects the preceding sentence about musical performances. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to structure the analysis, and the overall progression is clear even if some cohesive links could be smoother.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a task 1 response, successfully incorporating terms such as "considerable increase", "fluctuated", "surged abruptly", and "peak". However, there are several lexical and collocation errors, as well as spelling mistakes like "maxium" instead of "maximum". Phrases like "number of contestants participated" exhibit awkward grammatical word choice. Less common vocabulary is attempted with mixed success, meaning the range is sufficient for the task but lacks the precision required for higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and comparative constructions. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the response, such as tense and preposition misuses (e.g., "reached at a peak", "reached on its peak", "over the time reach a peak"). Non-standard phrasing like "there were approx 17 participants in the starting year, which steadily increased and reach at same level" indicates weak control of verb forms in subordinate clauses. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they persist often enough to restrict the score to a band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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