Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-11

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 graph illustrates the number of participants for different activities, namely film club, martial, amateur dramatics, table tennis, and musical performances at one social centre in Melbourne, Austraila between 2000 and 2020.

Overall, it is clear that film club accounted for the highest number of participants, compared with the other categories in Melbourne, while musical performances showed the smallest members. It is also noticeable that table tennis demonstrated the most significant rise throughout the period.

In 2000, the number of participants in amateur dramatics started at around 26 participants, and increased slightly to almost 29 members in 2005, whereas this figure dramatically decreased to nearly 6 participants in 2020. However, musical performances had almost 11 participanants in 2010, and increased sharply to close to 15 participants in 2020. In addition, the number of table tennis participants had less than 20 in 2000, and incrased to 35 participants in 2035, while this figure reached to approximately 54 participants.

At the beginning of 2000, the number of marital arts had 37 participants, and fluctuated during the period and reached to around 36 participants in 2020. Furthermore, film club had almost 65 members in the initial year, and reached to approximately 66 participants in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main overall patterns: film club remains the largest activity, table tennis rises substantially, and amateur dramatics declines. Several figures are also broadly accurate, including amateur dramatics at about 26 in 2000 and around 6 in 2020, and table tennis reaching roughly 54 by the end. However, coverage is uneven and some details are inaccurate or unclear. Table tennis reaches about 36 in 2015, not “in 2035,” and the final value is not clearly attached to a year. Musical performances begin at zero and rise to about 18, but the response omits the starting point and gives a lower final figure. The overview also calls musical performances the smallest throughout, which is not true after they begin. Select key stages more precisely and compare the series across the period.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs. The overview usefully highlights film club’s leading position and table tennis’s rise, while the later paragraphs group several activities together. However, progression within the detail paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow: the table-tennis sentence moves from 2000 to “2035” and then gives a final value without stating its year. Linking words such as “However,” “In addition,” and “Furthermore” are used, but some do not express a clear contrast or relationship between the data. The final paragraph also shifts abruptly from martial arts to film club. Organise details by clear trends or time periods, and use linking phrases only where they clarify the comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “fluctuated,” “dramatically decreased,” “significant rise,” and “approximately,” which helps describe trends. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “showed the smallest members,” “had less than 20,” and “reached to approximately.” There are also spelling errors, including “Austraila,” “participanants,” and “incrased,” and the activity label “martial” is incomplete in the introduction. These errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the general message, but they reduce precision and control. Use standard chart language such as “the number of participants was,” “stood at,” and “rose to,” and check spelling and the exact names of all categories.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including comparisons with “whereas” and clauses introduced by “while.” Most of the intended meaning remains understandable, but grammatical control is inconsistent. For example, “the number of participants … had less than 20” uses an unsuitable verb pattern, and “reached to approximately 54 participants” has an incorrect construction. In “musical performances had almost 11 participants,” the subject and verb choice also make the relationship between the activity and its participant count awkward. Some sentences combine several time points without clearly marking the year for each figure. Practise accurate patterns such as “there were about 16 participants,” “the figure stood at,” and “it rose to,” while keeping each sentence focused on a clear comparison.

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