Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-01
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 8.0)
The line graph illustrates the number of participants taking part in five different activities at a social centre in Melbourne, Australia, between 2000 and 2020.
Overall, it is clear that the film club remained the most popular activity throughout the period, while table tennis experienced the most significant increase. By contrast, amateur dramatics declined considerably, whereas participation in musical performances rose gradually from zero.
Looking first at the film club and martial arts, the number of film club participants stood at approximately 64 in 2000, compared with around 36 for martial arts. Over the following ten years, participation in the film club fell slightly to 60, before rising again to about 66 in 2020. Meanwhile, the figure for martial arts fluctuated throughout the period, falling to around 32 in 2005, rising to approximately 38 in 2010, and finishing at about 36 participants in 2020.
Turning to the remaining activities, table tennis started with only around 16 participants in 2000 and increased gradually to 20 in 2010. It then rose sharply, reaching approximately 35 in 2015 and 54 in 2020. In contrast, amateur dramatics increased slightly from 26 to 28 between 2000 and 2005, before declining steadily to only about 6 participants by 2020. Finally, musical performances had no participants in 2000 and 2005, but the figure increased gradually to around 18 by the end of the period.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 8.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 8.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 8.0 |
| Overall | 8.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0
The response covers all parts of the task well, providing a fully developed overview and reporting the main features with accurate data representation. The student effectively selects and compares key data points, such as highlighting the film club as consistently popular and table tennis as experiencing the most significant increase, while also noting the contrasting decline in amateur dramatics. The figures quoted closely match the provided chart, and the categorisation of trends across paragraphs is logical and purposeful, satisfying the high expectations for this criterion without any omissions.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.0
Ideas are logically sequenced, guiding the reader smoothly through the graph's different data series. Cohesive devices are managed very well, using transitional phrases such as 'Overall', 'By contrast', 'Looking first at', 'Meanwhile', 'Turning to the remaining activities', and 'In contrast' naturally and without mechanical overuse. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct group of activities. Referencing and progression are clear throughout the response, ensuring an effortless read.
Lexical Resource: Band 7.5
The writer demonstrates a wide and flexible range of vocabulary suited to describing statistical trends. Less common lexical items are used with skill, such as 'experienced the most significant increase', 'declined considerably', 'fluctuated throughout the period', and 'rose sharply'. Word choice and collocations are generally precise, with only occasional minor imperfections. Spelling is accurate throughout, and phrases like 'stood at approximately' and 'finishing at about' reflect a natural command of language, though a slightly broader use of rare academic synonyms would be required for the absolute highest band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0
A wide range of complex sentence structures is deployed with a high degree of flexibility and accuracy. The majority of sentences are error-free, featuring well-controlled subordinate clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'before rising again to about 66 in 2020' and 'reaching approximately 35 in 2015 and 54 in 2020'). Verb tenses and forms are handled accurately in the past tense to describe historical data from 2000 to 2020. Only very occasional minor slips or phrasing awkwardnesses occur, which do not interfere with communication.
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