Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 conveys the information regarding the participation at one social center for various activities in the city of Melbourne, Australia from 2000 to 2020.

Commencing with the year 2000, the number of participants for film are approximately 63 with a slight decrease throughout the year 2010. Later on slight increase is observed in 2015 to 2020. While material arts participants also face a decline in 2005 but the count increases in 2010 with gradual decrement till 2020. On the other hand, amateur dramatics encounters an increment in year 2005 but there is a sharp decline in 2010 that continued till 2020. Similarly, the number of participants of table tennis are reported to be less in year 2000 as compared to 2020. There is a very dramatic increase observed from year 2010 throughout 2020. In the case of musical performances, no active participation is analyzed in the year from 2000 till 2005. However, gradual increments are seen in the count of participants until 2020.

On the whole, the overall graph briefly demonstrates the participants count in the Melbourne. Film Club has the greater number of participants in 2020 as compared to other activities.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main broad patterns: film-club participation remains high, amateur dramatics declines, table tennis rises strongly, and musical performances begin later and grow. The final comparison that the film club has the most participants in 2020 is also accurate. However, the report is largely a sequence of general trend statements rather than a clear overview supported by key comparisons. Some details are imprecise: table tennis rises markedly from 2010, but its increase begins earlier, and martial arts fluctuates rather than showing a steady decline to 2020. Include a concise overview of the most important contrasts, then support it with selected figures—for example, table tennis’s rise from about 16 to 54 and amateur dramatics’ fall from about 26 to 6.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable order: it introduces the chart, describes the activities, and ends with an overall statement. Linking expressions such as “On the other hand,” “Similarly,” and “However” help signal relationships between points. At times, though, the sequence feels like a list of separate series rather than a comparison of related trends, and the overview comes only at the end. Some links are also mechanical or unclear, particularly “Commencing with the year 2000” and “On the whole, the overall graph briefly demonstrates.” Grouping the rising activities together and the declining or fluctuating ones together, with a distinct overview paragraph, would make the progression clearer and cohesion less formulaic.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “participants,” “sharp decline,” “gradual increments,” and “dramatic increase,” so the main trends are generally understandable. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing a graph: “material arts” should be “martial arts,” “participation … for various activities” is awkward, and “no active participation is analyzed” does not naturally describe a value of zero. “Count” and “increment” are also repeated, while “briefly demonstrates” is not a precise summary phrase. Aim for accurate collocations such as “the number of participants,” “stood at,” “rose,” and “fell,” and use a wider range of precise trend verbs without forcing formal-sounding expressions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including contrast clauses with “While” and “However,” and most of the intended meaning can be followed. Some grammatical errors remain, especially with articles, number, and sentence construction. For example, “the number of participants for film are” has a singular subject with a plural verb, while “in the year from 2000 till 2005” is an awkwardly formed time phrase. The sentence beginning “While material arts participants also face a decline” is not well integrated with the following clause, and “the participants count” uses an incorrect noun structure. Practise building clear subject–verb sentences and checking agreement, articles, and prepositions; this will make your varied sentence forms more controlled.

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