Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-17

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 5.0)

The graph below illustrates information on the numbers of participants for different activities at one social centre in Melbourne, Australia for the timeline 2000 to 2020.

Looking at the details, participants in the film club were at around 64 people in 2000 and remained relatively steady. Then, it decreased slightly in 2010 and increased in 2015, ending at roughly 67 in 2020. Table tennis began at 15 participants in 2000, grew slightly until 2010, and then increased rapidly to 55 participants until 2020. Meanwhile, musical performances had no participants until 2005, after which the number rose steadily to about 19 by the end of the timeline. Furthermore, marital arts started at 38 in 2000, then flactuated between 30 and 38 over the 20 years, finishing at nearly the same level as it started. Lastly, amateur dramatics began with 227 participants in 2000 and slightly rose in 2005, then rapidly decreased to under 10 by 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You report several relevant trends, including the film club’s broadly stable numbers, the sharp rise in table tennis, and the decline in amateur dramatics. However, the overview is not clearly separated or stated, and one major figure is seriously inaccurate: amateur dramatics began at about 26 participants, not 227. The musical performances description also says there were no participants until 2005, whereas the chart shows zero in both 2000 and 2005, with growth beginning by 2010. The response is 137 words, below the required 150, so it does not meet the minimum. To improve, add a concise overview of the main contrasts and check each figure against the graph before describing it.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response follows a generally understandable sequence, moving through the activities one by one, and linking expressions such as “Meanwhile,” “Furthermore,” and “Lastly” help signal transitions. However, it is presented as one paragraph, so the main overview is not distinguished from the supporting details. The repeated pattern of introducing each series and listing its changes also makes the progression somewhat mechanical. Grouping the most important trends—for example, the rising table tennis figures alongside the falling amateur dramatics figures—would create clearer comparisons. Use a separate overview and detail paragraphs, and make sure each linking phrase expresses a genuine relationship between the data rather than simply marking the next item.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “remained relatively steady,” “increased rapidly,” “rose steadily,” and “fluctuated.” These phrases communicate changes in the data clearly. Some choices are inaccurate or imprecise, however: “marital arts” is a misspelling of “martial arts,” and “grew slightly until 2010” does not accurately describe table tennis, which reached about 20 by 2005 and then stayed level until 2010. “For the timeline” is also less natural than “over the period.” Aim for precise trend language and check spelling carefully, especially for chart labels. A wider set of accurate terms for stability, peaks, and declines would make the report more flexible.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more developed sentence forms, and most sentences are easy to follow. For example, “Meanwhile, musical performances had no participants until 2005, after which the number rose steadily” combines ideas effectively. Some grammatical choices are less controlled: “participants in the film club were at around 64 people” is awkwardly structured, and “increased rapidly to 55 participants until 2020” uses an unclear time relationship. The opening phrase “for the timeline 2000 to 2020” also needs a more natural grammatical construction. These issues do not generally prevent understanding, but revising sentence patterns to state values and time periods precisely would improve accuracy.

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