Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-22

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 given graph illustrates information on the number of participants for different activities at one social centre in Melbourne, Australia, for the period of 2000 to 2020.

The number of participants in the film club remained quite stable over the years, between 60 and 70. The number of participants in martial arts was quite unstable, as it kept increasing and decreasing every 5 years, between 30 and 40. The musical performances started in the year 2005, and the number of participants kept on increasing.

The number of participants in table tennis was quite low in the early decade, but it had a significant increase in participants from the year 2010. The number increased from 10 and 20 to 35 and 55. The number of participants had a significant decline in amateur dramatics after 2005. They had around 20 and 25 participants in the early years, but it gradually decreased.

So, in conclusion, the number of participants kept on decreasing and increasing over the years, but the only activity that stayed stable was the film club, with the maximum number of participants.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important patterns, including the film club’s relative stability, the rise in table-tennis participation, and the decline in amateur dramatics. However, the account is only partly precise: the film club fluctuates from about 60 to 66 rather than simply remaining within a broad 60–70 range, and table tennis rises from roughly 16 to 54, not from 10 to 20 and then 35 to 55. The overview also misses the striking contrast between table tennis’s strong growth and amateur dramatics’ steep fall, and it does not clearly state that film club participation was highest throughout. Develop the key comparisons more accurately and report the main turning points to make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two paragraphs describing activities, and a concluding statement. Grouping the film club and martial arts together, then discussing the other activities, gives the reader some organisation. However, the progression is not consistently clear, and the conclusion largely repeats the general idea that numbers changed rather than synthesising the main contrasts. Some links between details are also loose: “The number increased from 10 and 20 to 35 and 55” is difficult to follow and does not clearly connect the figures to the years. Use clearer chronological comparisons and more precise referencing, and make the overview a distinct summary of the most important trends rather than a repeated conclusion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary such as “participants,” “significant increase,” “decline,” and “gradually decreased,” so the main trends are generally understandable. However, the range is limited by repeated wording, especially “the number of participants” and “kept,” and some expressions are imprecise or awkward, such as “quite unstable” for the martial-arts fluctuations and “early decade” for the early years of the period. “The number increased from 10 and 20 to 35 and 55” also uses an unclear construction for describing a trend. Aim for more precise verbs and varied ways to describe figures, while ensuring that the vocabulary accurately reflects the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

Most sentences communicate their basic meaning, and you attempt some longer structures, for example, “The number of participants in martial arts was quite unstable, as it kept increasing and decreasing every 5 years.” However, sentence patterns are mostly simple and repetitive, and some constructions are awkward or unclear. In “The number increased from 10 and 20 to 35 and 55,” the paired figures are not expressed in a clear grammatical structure. The final sentence, beginning “So, in conclusion,” also combines two conclusion markers unnecessarily. Practise a wider mix of accurate complex sentences, including structures that compare changes across years, and check that each sentence clearly identifies its subject and the relationship between figures.

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

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