Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-28
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 for multiple activities at one social centre in Australia between 2000 and 2020.
Overall, the number of participants in table tennis and musical performance increased steadily, while the number of participants in film club, martial arts and amateur dramatics decreased dramatically over the period.
In 2000, the number of participants in table tennis increased steadily from about 17 in 2000 to approximately 55 in 2020. Moreover, there was no change from 2000 to 2005, but the number of participants in musical performance increased steadily over one and a half decades from 0 in 2005 to about 18 in 2020. Furthermore, there were fluctuations in martial arts over the two decades from approximately 37 in 2000 to 38 in 2020.
In contrast, the number of participants in the film club decreased dramatically from approximately 65 in 2000 to 60 in 2010. After 2010, it increased steadily from approximately 60 to 69 in 2020. Furthermore, the number of participants in amateur dramatics gradually increased over half a decade from about 27 in 2000 to approximately 29 in 2005, and dramatically decreased over one and a half decades from about 29 in 2005 to approximately 8 in 2020.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student covers all parts of the task well, providing an overview and selecting key features and comparisons. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting the data. For instance, the student states that table tennis 'increased steadily from about 17 in 2000 to approximately 55 in 2020', which is fairly accurate, but misinterprets the trends of certain other activities. The student claims that film club decreased dramatically down to 60 in 2010 and then 'increased steadily from approximately 60 to 69 in 2020' (whereas it was actually 64 in 2015 and 66 in 2020). Furthermore, musical performances did not start at 0 in 2005, but rather appeared in 2010. Despite these minor misreadings of the chart, the response successfully highlights the major trends, meeting the requirements of Band 6.5 to 7.0, ultimately fitting a solid Band 6 descriptor due to some under-developed or inaccurate data reporting.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. The essay begins with an introductory paragraph, followed by an overview, and then body paragraphs detailing specific trends. Cohesive devices are used adequately to guide the reader through the data, such as 'Overall', 'In 2000', 'Moreover', and 'In contrast'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, separating the general introduction and overview from the detailed body paragraphs. However, some referencing and cohesive links are slightly repetitive or mechanical, particularly the repetitive use of 'In [year]' at the beginning of sentences. Referencing could be smoother to achieve a higher band. Overall, the organization meets the criteria for Band 6.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to trends and data reporting, such as 'illustrates', 'increased steadily', 'decreased dramatically', and 'fluctuations'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, but some word choices and descriptions contain inaccuracies, such as misidentifying data points or using imprecise adjectives. Spelling is generally accurate, and word-choice errors do not impede communication. The lexical range is sufficient to allow the student to convey the main features of the graph, placing the response comfortably in Band 6.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and subordinate structures successfully (e.g., 'The line graph illustrates the number of participants for multiple activities at one social centre in Australia between 2000 and 2020'). There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, particularly regarding prepositional phrases and time clauses (e.g., 'over one and a half decades from 0 in 2005'), but these errors rarely impede communication. The majority of simple sentences are grammatically sound, while complex structures show occasional awkwardness. This balance reflects the characteristics of Band 6.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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