Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-29

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 in various activities at the social center in Melbourne, Australia, between 2000 and 2020.

Overall, table tennis recorded the highest number of participants and surged over the years, whereas musical performances recorded the lowest number of participants and rose steadily over the years.

Table tennis had the largest number of participants, around 18, and surged to 58 between 2010 and 2020. Conversely, musical performances had the fewest participants, 0 in 2005, and then rose steadily over the years, whereas amateur dramatics recorded around 28 participants in 2000 and fell steadily over the years between 2005 and 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 150 words, containing only 105 words, which places a strict ceiling on the Task Achievement score. Furthermore, there are significant factual inaccuracies in the data reported. For example, the student states that table tennis 'had the largest number of participants, around 18' in 2000, whereas the chart shows it started at approximately 16. More critically, the overview contains a factual contradiction with the data: the student claims table tennis recorded the highest number of participants overall, yet film club actually maintained the highest numbers across the majority of the 20-year period (reaching 66 in 2020, compared to table tennis at 54). While a basic summary and some main features are attempted, the severe under-length and factual errors prevent the response from achieving above a band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text is organized into brief paragraphs, starting with a standard introductory sentence, followed by a short overview and a body paragraph. However, the logical progression is weak due to the brevity of the response and abrupt transitions. Cohesive devices are used in a basic manner, such as 'Overall' and 'Conversely', but referencing and linking between ideas are limited. Paragraphing is attempted, but the overall structure feels disjointed and underdeveloped due to the lack of sufficient supporting detail and data elaboration.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully employing words and phrases related to graphical data such as 'illustrates', 'surged', 'rose steadily', and 'fell steadily'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and data interpretation, such as claiming table tennis had 'around 18' participants initially and misidentifying it as the overall highest throughout the period. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive, which is partly a result of the overall shortness of the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using relative clauses and contrasting conjunctions such as 'whereas' and 'conversely'. Grammatical accuracy is reasonably good for the structures attempted, with correct past and present tense usage ('illustrates', 'recorded', 'had'). There are only a few minor errors, and communication is not impeded by grammatical faults. The primary limitation in this criterion is the restricted range and the overall brevity of the writing, which prevents the demonstration of a wider variety of complex forms.

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

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