Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The graph given illustrates the change in number of participants at different activities in Melbourne over the years quite well.

Different trends can be observed for different activities. The number of participants increases for some activities during the 20 year period, some decreases in number and others can be seen fluctuating.

During the first 10 years, participants quantity decreased gradually for film club. But a rise can be noticed from 2010 to 2020. Martial arts experienced through a series of fluctuations during the 20 year period. The number of people alternated by decreasing for the first 5 years, then increasing again for the next 5 years, and this cycle repeated till 2020. Amateur dramatics underwent through some tragic events. For the first 5 years, participants numbers increased slightly. However after 2005, the number of participants drastically dropped year by year.

The table tennis activity actually went through some positive changes over the year. During the first five years, a subtle increase in participants can be seen. From 2005 to 2010, the change in people can be described as neglible as the curve remained flat. However after the 2010 mark, the number of participants for table tennis increased dramatically. The musical performance activity has zero participants for the first five years. Then after 2005, a noticible change in the number of participants were observed till 2020. The overall number increased from zero to about 15.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student addresses all parts of the task by selecting and reporting on the main features of the line graph. An overview is provided in the opening paragraphs, identifying general trends such as increases, decreases, and fluctuations. Key data points are cited accurately, such as the growth in table tennis participation from 16 in 2000 to 54 in 2020, and the zero start for musical performances. However, the tone becomes slightly informal and overly dramatic in places, such as describing amateur dramatics as having 'underwent through some tragic events,' which detracts slightly from the academic register required. Overall, the content covers the visual data well and provides adequate comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs dedicated to different activities. Information and ideas are logically sequenced, guiding the reader through the various trends. Cohesive devices are generally used appropriately, such as 'During the first 10 years,' 'However after 2005,' and 'Then after 2005.' While paragraphing is clear and aids progression, referencing is occasionally repetitive, and some transitional links feel slightly mechanical. Nonetheless, the overall structure remains coherent throughout the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'fluctuations,' 'gradually,' and 'dramatically.' However, there are notable word choice and collocation inaccuracies throughout the text, such as 'participants quantity' instead of 'number of participants,' 'underwent through' instead of simply 'underwent,' and 'neglible' (misspelled as well). Furthermore, some descriptors are overly conversational or emotionally charged for an academic report, such as 'tragic events.' These lexical limitations restrict the score to Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating introductory clauses and time markers effectively. There are, however, several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings present, such as 'the change in number of participants at different activities,' 'Martial arts experienced through a series of fluctuations,' and a subject-verb agreement error in 'a noticible change in the number of participants were observed.' Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while these errors do not impede overall communication, their frequency prevents the response from achieving a higher band score.

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