Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-03
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 chart illustrates the numbers of participants for five different activities at a community centre in the capital city of Australia between 2000 and 2020.
Overall, film club was the the most popular activity throughout the period and experienced the highest numbers of participants, while tablle tennis participants showed a significant increase in the last ten years, making it the second most popular activity. Whereas, the participants in amateur dramatics relatively decrease over the period, making it the least popular activity.
In 2000, film club experienced 64 participants, which slightly decline in 2010, before increasing to 54 particpants, making it the most popular activity among all others. The participants in martial arts showed a relatively stable numbers of participants, which was 38 at the beginning, followed a further increase in 2010 and fall again in 2020, reaching the same. Furthermore, table tennis participants were approximately 18 in 2000, which sharply increased to around 54 participants, making it the second most popluar activity, whereas amateur dramatics experienced a dramatic decrease in the number of participants by 2020
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response addresses the main features of the task, noting the dominance of the film club and the significant shift in table tennis and amateur dramatics. However, the development of ideas is uneven and some data reporting contains inaccuracies. For instance, the text claims film club increased to 54 participants in 2010 (whereas it was 60) and confuses the final data point for martial arts. Furthermore, the overview is somewhat disjointed and the conclusion cuts off abruptly. To move to a higher band, the student needs to ensure all data points are accurately reported from the visual source, avoid unsupported generalisations, and extend the description of key trends more consistently across all categories.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response exhibits a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt at paragraphing, moving from an introduction to an overview and then body details. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'In 2000', and 'Furthermore', but some transitions are mechanical or confusing, such as 'Whereas, the participants in amateur dramatics relatively decrease'. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, and the abrupt ending of the final sentence disrupts the logical flow. To achieve a higher score, the student should ensure smoother transitions between sentences and paragraphs, refine the use of cohesive markers, and maintain a clear progression of ideas throughout the entire essay without trailing off.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The student displays an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'illustrates', 'participants', 'significant increase', and 'dramatic decrease'. There are, however, several lexical errors and typos, such as 'tablle' (table), 'popluar' (popular), and awkward collocations like 'relatively decrease' instead of 'steadily decreased'. Less common vocabulary is attempted but lacks precision in word choice and form. To reach the next level, the student should expand their vocabulary range, pay closer attention to spelling and word formation, and ensure that descriptive adverbs and adjectives collocate accurately with the trends they describe.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, attempting relative clauses and time markers. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('film club experienced 64 participants, which slightly decline'), incorrect tense usage, and missing prepositions or articles ('was the the most popular'). These errors occasionally cause confusion for the reader. To improve, the student needs to demonstrate better control over tense consistency when describing past data, ensure accurate subject-verb agreement, and refine the execution of complex sentence forms to reduce the frequency of basic mechanical mistakes.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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