Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-09-11
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The line graph shows the number of first time visitors and returning visitors who visited Caryl Island from 2000 to 2008.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
The line graph shows the number of first time visitors and returning visitors who visited Caryl Island from 2000 to 2008.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
The line graph illustrates the difference changes between the number of first time visitors and returning visitors to Caryl island over 8 years : from 2000 to 2008.
Overall, it's obvious that there is a huge difference throughout the years, due to several reasons. The blue line represents people visiting Caryl Island for the first time, at the beginning of 21th which is the period from 2000 to 2002, there is a noticeable decrease in the number of visitors from 8000 to an equal split : 4000. In contrast the red line which shows the number of returning visitors is always increasing, from 2000 to 2002 we see a significant increase which reaches 10000 persons. However, at the end of 2002, the number of first time visitors marks a huge change and start with a fast increase stood at 12000 in 2008, opposites to returning visitors which amounted to almost 16000 by the year of 2006, than it decrease to almost 12000 in 2008.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the graph, identifying the trends for both visitor categories. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial and lacks a clear, cohesive overview. The inclusion of 'due to several reasons' is inappropriate as the graph does not provide reasons for the trends, and this constitutes an external assumption. While the key data points are mentioned, the comparison between the two categories could be more effectively integrated. The summary is functional but lacks the analytical depth required for a higher band score, as it focuses more on listing data points than synthesizing the overall trends.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into two paragraphs, but the structure is somewhat disjointed. The transition between the overview and the body details is abrupt. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In contrast' and 'However', but they are sometimes used mechanically or with awkward phrasing (e.g., 'opposites to returning visitors'). The logical progression is occasionally hindered by run-on sentences and unclear referencing, particularly in the second half of the response where the timeline becomes difficult to follow due to the lack of clear signposting.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'difference changes' instead of 'changes in the number of' and 'equal split' to describe a numerical value. The phrase 'at the beginning of 21th' is grammatically incorrect and imprecise. While the student attempts to describe trends, the range of vocabulary remains limited to basic descriptors like 'increase' and 'decrease'. To improve, the student should incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and precise reporting verbs.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but accuracy is inconsistent. There are several grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('the number of first time visitors... start with a fast increase') and incorrect preposition usage ('at the beginning of 21th'). Punctuation is also problematic, with inconsistent spacing around colons and commas. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. More attention to sentence boundaries and basic grammatical rules is needed.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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