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 Melbourne, Australia between 2000 and 2020.
Overall, the number of participants in table tennis and musical performance rose steadily, while the number of participants in film club, martial arts and amateur dramatics declined dramatically over the period.
In 2000, the number of participants in table tennis went from about 17 to approximately 55 in 2020. Moreover, there was remained stable from 2000 to 2005, but the number of participants in musical performance fell 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 declined from approximately 65 in 2000 to 60 in 2010. After 2010, it climbed 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 attempts to address all parts of the task by reporting the main features and trends of the five activities over the twenty-year period. However, there are several factual inaccuracies in reading the data from the graph. For instance, the student states that the number of participants in musical performance fell from 0 in 2005 to about 18 in 2020, whereas it actually rose from zero to 18. Similarly, the description of film club contains contradictions, claiming it declined until 2010 and then climbed to 69 in 2020 (when it reached roughly 66). Furthermore, the overview incorrectly claims that table tennis and musical performance both 'rose steadily', whereas musical performances started at zero and remained at zero until 2010. These recurring data misinterpretations prevent the response from achieving a higher band score.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is structured into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that attempt to group the activities logically. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In 2000', 'Moreover', and 'In contrast' are employed to guide the reader through the data. However, referencing and logical progression are occasionally flawed, notably in sentences like 'Moreover, there was remained stable from 2000 to 2005', which disrupts the flow and grammatical cohesion. Paragraphing is present and generally appropriate for a Task 1 response, but the internal cohesion of the sentences often feels mechanical or forced due to structural errors.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully employing topic-specific terms such as 'participants', 'social centre', 'fluctuations', and 'dramatically'. Less common vocabulary is attempted, including phrases like 'rose steadily', 'declined dramatically', and 'gradually increased'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'there was remained stable' and inaccuracies when reporting specific data points. Despite these lexical slips, the vocabulary used is sufficient to communicate the general meaning of the visual data.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing time clauses and comparative structures. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, leading to errors that occasionally impede clarity. A clear example of a structural error is 'Moreover, there was remained stable from 2000 to 2005', which combines existential and active verb forms incorrectly. Other sentences exhibit awkward phrasing and minor tense or preposition slips. While these errors do not completely obscure the message, they prevent the text from achieving a higher band level.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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