Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-29

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 tracks the number of participants in various activities from 2000 to 2020.

As the graph depicts we can see that the two activities Film club and Martial arts have a pretty stable participation throughout the two decades.

Except for musical performances, all the other activities have begun from 2000.

The highest number of participants can be seen in the activity of the film club, which is 64-65 people approximately across the span of 20 years.

There has been a sharp rise in the number of participants in table tennis and musical performances, which started around 16-17 is now at 50+ participants, whereas musical performances started with basically nothing in the year 2005 but made progress of 15 participants by the year 2020.

We can see a decline in the participation of the Ameture dramatics activity, where initially it started off with 25+ participants but later on went downhill to almost none by the year 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important patterns: film-club participation remains high, table tennis rises substantially, and amateur dramatics declines. The comparison that table tennis reaches “50+ participants” and dramatics falls to “almost none” by 2020 is broadly accurate. However, the account is only partly developed: it gives few precise comparisons across the five years and does not clearly report the relatively stable, fluctuating pattern for martial arts. The overview is also weakened by saying film-club numbers were “64-65” throughout, when they dipped to about 60 before rising to 66. Musical performances began at zero in 2000, not 2005. Select the main trends accurately, then support them with key figures and comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic progression from an introduction to general trends and then to individual activities. Paragraph breaks help separate the points, and phrases such as “whereas” and “by the year 2020” signal comparison and time. However, the organisation does not consistently guide the reader through the graph: the overview is mixed with details, and the final paragraph adds another trend without linking it to the earlier comparisons. Some connections are unclear, particularly “which started around 16-17 is now at 50+,” because the reference to table tennis is not explicit. Use a clear overview followed by grouped comparisons, and make each pronoun or linking phrase refer unmistakably to an activity.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a serviceable range of trend vocabulary, including “sharp rise,” “stable participation,” “decline,” and “went downhill,” so the main changes are generally understandable. However, some choices are informal or imprecise for an academic report: “pretty stable,” “basically nothing,” and “went downhill” could be replaced with more neutral descriptions. “Made progress of 15 participants” is an awkward collocation, and “Ameture” is misspelled. Repeated use of “participants” and “activity” also limits variety. Aim for precise reporting language such as “remained relatively steady,” “increased to,” and “fell to,” while checking spelling and choosing collocations that describe numerical change accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use mostly understandable simple sentences and attempt some more complex forms, for example, “Except for musical performances, all the other activities have begun from 2000.” However, several sentence structures are awkward or incomplete. In “which started around 16-17 is now at 50+ participants,” the clauses need clearer punctuation and a subject reference; “There has been a sharp rise … which started … is now” also creates a confusing construction. The present perfect in “have begun from 2000” is not suitable for describing a chart period that ended in 2020. Use past-tense forms consistently for the historical data, and separate long comparisons into complete, clearly punctuated sentences.

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