Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-25

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 illustrates the data on the number of a participants for various activities at same centre in Melbourne, Austraila from 2000 to 2020.

Overall a film club showed the highest number of participants while an amateur dramatics represented the smallest figure. In addition, a table tennis segment rose sharply over the last three decades meanwhile a martial arts sector fluctuated over the period.

Firstly, in 2000, a., film club visitors stood at 64% while dropped slightly in 2 decades and after that, it rose steadily arround 68%. Moreover, a table tennis sector slumped dramatically in last 3 decades and reached 55%, a martial arts sector fluctuated over the period while an amateur dramatics declined sharply from 2005 to 2020 and recorded at 5% , which is the smallest figure in the table. Futhermore, a musical perormance sector rose sharply from 2005 to 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempts to cover the main features of the graph, presenting an overview and mentioning several trends such as the film club having the highest figures and table tennis increasing significantly. However, there are notable factual inaccuracies and misreadings of the data. For example, the student claims that film club visitors stood at '64%' (using percentages instead of absolute numbers) and states that table tennis 'slumped dramatically in last 3 decades', whereas the graph clearly shows table tennis rising significantly from 16 to 54. Additionally, the response falls short of the 150-word minimum, containing only 144 words. Because of these data misinterpretations and the length penalty, Task Achievement is affected.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structural organization, featuring an introductory sentence, an overview paragraph, and a body paragraph. However, logical progression is hindered by confusing contradictions and misuse of cohesive devices. For instance, the student uses 'meanwhile' and 'furthermore' awkwardly to link disparate points without clear logical relationships. Paragraphing is also poorly handled, with the main body compressed into a single, dense paragraph starting with repetitive connectors like 'Firstly'. Reference words and cohesive links are sometimes mechanical or inaccurate.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common collocations such as 'rose sharply', 'fluctuated', and 'declined sharply'. However, there are frequent lexical inaccuracies, awkward word choices, and typos, such as 'a participants', 'Austraila', 'same centre', and using percentage signs ('64%') for absolute participant numbers. The range is somewhat limited and repetitive, which prevents the response from achieving a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using temporal clauses and coordinating conjunctions. However, control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are several intrusive errors, such as missing articles ('a film club showed', 'a table tennis segment'), incorrect prepositions ('arround 68%'), and ungrammatical phrasing ('while dropped slightly'). Punctuation errors are also present, such as unnecessary commas before punctuation marks (e.g., 'a., film club'). These errors occasionally cause strain for the reader.

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

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