Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-09

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 graph belows represents the numbers of people participated in several activities at one social center in Melbourne, Australia for the period 2000 to 2020.

The activities available in this centre are divided in 5 categories: film club, martial arts, amateur dramatics, table tennis and musical performances.

Over the years 2000 to 2020, film club occupied the highest number of participants ranging between 60 and 65.

Martial arts was in the second place from years 2000 to 2010 with 37 to 39 members. Amateur dramatics had a decreasing number of participants over the years, with a range between 29 to 7 where it experienced the least number in 2020.

Table tennis had a huge development over these years, it went from having 17 participants in 2000 to achieveing second place after film club in 2020 with over 50 members. The activity musical performances resided least number from 2000 to 2010 with members from 0 to 10, then experiencing a slight increase in 2015 and 2020 with 20 members.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main series and several important patterns, including film club’s consistently high participation, the decline in amateur dramatics, and the strong rise in table tennis. The comparison that table tennis reached second place by 2020 is also accurate. However, some figures and descriptions are imprecise: martial arts fluctuated around the mid-30s rather than “37 to 39,” and musical performances rose to about 18 in 2020, not 20. The overview is also incomplete: it would be useful to state clearly that film club remained broadly stable, while martial arts changed little overall. The response reports relevant features, but uneven precision and limited coverage of comparisons keep the summary from being fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows a generally understandable order: it introduces the chart, names the activities, and then describes several trends. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, the organisation is mostly a sequence of separate observations rather than a clearly structured overview followed by grouped details. For example, the film club and martial arts trends could be compared together, while the declining amateur dramatics and rising table tennis could form another comparison. Some linking is awkward, particularly the long table-tennis sentence joined by a comma. Use clearer paragraphing and transitions such as “By contrast” or “Meanwhile” to make relationships between trends more explicit and progression less list-like.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “decreasing,” “slight increase,” “ranging,” and “participants,” so the meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts to vary expression, such as “huge development.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for a graph summary: “occupied the highest number,” “resided least number,” and “to achieveing second place” do not collocate naturally. “Huge development” is also vague; “sharp rise” would describe the trend more precisely. Spelling errors such as “belows” and “achieveing” further reduce accuracy. Aim for standard trend language and check word forms and spelling so that your vocabulary communicates comparisons precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, and most of the trends remain understandable. However, errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms occur often enough to make the writing less controlled. For example, “numbers of people participated” needs a relative clause or a noun phrase, and “divided in 5 categories” has an incorrect preposition and article pattern. In “it went from having 17 participants … to achieveing second place,” the parallel structure is faulty; use “from … to …” with matching forms. The sentence beginning “The activity musical performances…” also lacks a clear grammatical construction. Practise accurate noun phrases, verb patterns, and parallel comparisons, while breaking up long sentences where needed.

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