Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-05

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 information on the numbers of participants for different activities at one social centre in Melbourne, Australia over the period of year 2000 to 2020 has been illustrated with this line graph.

Overall, music, table tennis and flim club participant numbers were increased while, Amateur dramatics were decreased. On the other hand Martial art participant numbers were steady. The highest number of participants were on film club.

Over the period of 2000 to 2020 the film club participants were the highest. In 2000 it were around 65 participants while it steadily grew overtime and stayed in the 60's number untill 2020 and ended up around 66 participants. While on the other hand Amateur dramatics were the opposite and dramatically decreased after slightly increasing from 2000 to 2005 which was 30 participants. From 2005 it decreased dramatically to 20 in 2010,around 15 in 2015 and around 10 in 2020.

The table tennis participants were the only fastest growing number in the line graph. From 2000 to 2010 the numbers of participant was steady which was around18 in 2000,20 in 2005 and 2010. Then it dramatically increased after 2010. In 2015 it was around 36 and in 2020 it ended up in around 55. While martial arts were steady over the period of 2000 to 2020. and were inside the number of 30 to 40.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the task only partially, presenting an overview with some main features and comparisons, though certain details are inaccurate or inadequately developed. For instance, the overview incorrectly states that music participant numbers increased throughout the entire period (whereas they started at zero in 2000 and 2005), and some specific figures are misreported, such as amateur dramatics starting at 30 in 2005 instead of the actual 28. While you successfully identify the film club as having the highest figures and highlight the significant upward trend of table tennis, the development of trends is inconsistent. To move to a higher band, you need to ensure that all selected data points are accurately read from the graph and that every trend is fully supported by precise figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some basic organisation with paragraphing used to separate the introduction, overview, and body paragraphs, but the response lacks clear overall progression and logical linking between ideas. Cohesive devices are sometimes repetitive, inaccurate, or mechanical, such as the frequent use of transition phrases like 'While on the other hand' and 'In 2000 it were around 65 participants while it steadily grew'. Reference words are also handled clumsily, making the flow disjointed at times. To achieve a higher score, you should vary your cohesive devices naturally, ensure smooth transitions between sentences and paragraphs, and maintain a clear, logical progression of information throughout the response.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary range is limited, though minimally adequate for the task, containing noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices that occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. Examples include spelling errors like 'flim' instead of film, incorrect word choices such as 'the only fastest growing number', and mechanical phrasing like 'inside the number of 30 to 40'. You attempt some less common vocabulary, such as 'dramatically increased', but control is inconsistent. To improve this criterion, you should focus on precise word choice, accurate spelling, and using collocations that naturally describe statistical trends, such as 'experienced a sharp rise' rather than 'fastest growing number'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences alongside attempts at complex forms that are frequently faulty. There are persistent errors in subject-verb agreement, verb tenses, and prepositions within grammatical patterns, such as 'participant numbers were increased' instead of active forms, 'it were around 65' instead of 'there were' or 'it was', and 'untill' with incorrect spelling. These frequent errors can cause some difficulty for the reader. To reach the next band, you need to demonstrate better control over basic sentence structures, ensure accurate verb tenses when describing past data, and reduce the frequency of grammatical slips.

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

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