Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-02

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 compares the changing numbers of participants involved in five different activities at a social center in Melbourne, Australia, between 2000 and 2020.

Overall, film club consistently remained the most popular activity throughout the entire period. While engagement in table tennis and musical performances experienced significant growth, participation in amateur dramatics saw a stark decline, and martial arts figures remained relatively stable.

In 2000, film club recorded the highest participation with 64 members, fluctuating slightly over the next two decades before peaking at 66 in 2020. Martial arts started as the second most popular activity with 36 participants, experienced mild fluctuations between 32 and 38, and finished at 36 in 2020. In contrast, amateur dramatics began at 26 participants, peaked slightly at 28 in 2005, and then steadily plummeted to hit a period low of just 6 participants by 2020.

Looking at the remaining activities, table tennis started at 16 participants in 2000, leveled off at 20 between 2005 and 2010, and then experienced a dramatic surge to finish at 54 participants in 2020, making it the second most popular activity by the end of the timeframe. Meanwhile, musical performances had no participants until 2005, after which interest grew sharply to 12 in 2010 and continued a gradual upward trajectory to end at 18 participants in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.5

The response covers all parts of the task exceptionally well, presenting a fully developed overview and reporting the main features with high precision. For instance, the writer accurately captures the dominance of the film club ('consistently remained the most popular activity') and effectively highlights contrasting trends, such as the dramatic surge in table tennis and the stark decline in amateur dramatics. The data cited throughout the body paragraphs—such as table tennis finishing at 54 participants in 2020 and amateur dramatics plummeting to 6—aligns closely with the visual source. The selection of data is strategic and supports a clear, well-supported summary without getting bogged down in unnecessary minor fluctuations. To reach the absolute highest level, the response could integrate an even sharper, more sophisticated synthesis of overarching temporal trends in the introductory overview.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.0

The essay displays a logical sequencing of information and ideas, with a clear progression from a well-crafted overview to detailed body paragraphs. Paragraphing is used effectively and appropriately, grouping related data logically—such as grouping film club, martial arts, and amateur dramatics in one paragraph, and table tennis and musical performances in the next. Cohesive devices are managed skilfully and naturally without ever appearing mechanical. For example, transitional phrases like 'In contrast,' 'Looking at the remaining activities,' and 'Meanwhile' guide the reader smoothly through contrasting trends and shifts in data. Referencing is consistently clear and precise throughout the text, ensuring the overall structure remains coherent from start to finish.

Lexical Resource: Band 8.0

The writer demonstrates a wide, fluent, and flexible lexical range that is well-suited to an academic report. Uncommon lexical items and collocation patterns are used skilfully, as seen in phrases like 'fluctuating slightly', 'steadily plummeted', 'leveled off', and 'gradual upward trajectory'. Word choice and phrasing are consistently precise, allowing the writer to convey subtle shifts in data without strain. There are only occasional minor inaccuracies, but these do not impede communication in any way. To move closer to the highest band, the writer could incorporate even more sophisticated, less common lexical chunks to describe multi-layered trends or rates of change with absolute precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0

The response employs a wide range of complex sentence structures with a high degree of flexibility and accuracy. The vast majority of sentences are completely error-free, reflecting excellent control over verb forms, tense consistency, and subordinate clauses. Examples such as 'While engagement in table tennis and musical performances experienced significant growth, participation in amateur dramatics saw a stark decline' showcase an impressive command of complex grammatical patterns. Punctuation is handled accurately throughout, and prepositions within grammatical phrases are used correctly. Only very occasional, minor slips occur, which do not detract from the overall high quality of the writing and maintain a polished academic tone.

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