Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-24
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 graph provided, encapsulates the information regarding the amount of participants taking part in the five listed activities. This event takes place at Melbourne, Australia. Y-axis of the graph plots the number of participants while the X-axis of the graph plots the five years when the event took place.
Overall observation from the graph is the unmatched participation in the film club where each year there are consistently over 60 participants.
Table tennis has seen a exponential growth in participation through the years. Until 2010 the participation in table tennis was in the range between 10 to 20, but in the year 2015 and 2020 the participation numbers climbed greatly. While on the other hand Amateur dramatics though saw a marginal increase till the year 2005, the activity has been steadily declining well into 2010 where it is not even able to pull 10 participants.
Martial arts club popularity has been consistent through the years ranging between 30 and 40. In the musical performances category no one took part in the years 2000 and 2005. After 2005 consistently above 10 people have taken part in this category.
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 covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the categories. An overview is present, highlighting the consistent popularity of the film club. The key trends are correctly identified, such as the exponential growth in table tennis and the steady decline in amateur dramatics. Figures are reported accurately in accordance with the visual data. However, the introductory sentence contains a slight inaccuracy regarding the duration of the event ('the five years when the event took place', when in fact the graph shows 2000 to 2020 at five-year intervals). Despite this minor flaw, the main features are well-supported and the overall response satisfies the requirements of Band 6.5, leaning towards Band 7.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organized logically into distinct paragraphs for the introduction, overview, and body details. Cohesive devices are used adequately to connect ideas, such as 'Overall observation', 'While on the other hand', and 'In the musical performances category'. However, paragraphing is somewhat fragmented, with single-sentence paragraphs used for the introduction and overview, which affects the overall structural flow. Referencing is generally clear, but the transition between ideas could be smoother. The progression is evident throughout the text, placing it comfortably in the Band 6 range.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully employing terms such as 'encapsulates', 'consistently', 'exponential growth', and 'marginal increase'. There are some awkward phrasings or minor lexical inaccuracies, such as 'amount of participants' instead of 'number of participants' and 'not even able to pull 10 participants' which is slightly informal. Spelling is accurate throughout. While the student attempts less common vocabulary, inaccuracies in word choice prevent the score from reaching higher bands, making Band 6 an appropriate evaluation.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'While on the other hand Amateur dramatics though saw a marginal increase till the year 2005, the activity has been steadily declining well into 2010 where it is not even able to pull 10 participants.' There are some punctuation and structural errors, including missing commas and slightly clunky phrasing ('This event takes place at Melbourne, Australia' instead of 'in'). Grammar and punctuation errors do not impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the argument easily. This performance aligns well with Band 6 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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