Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-10-03

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 compares the number of first time visitors and returning visitors from Caryl Island over the period of 8 years between 2000 to 2008.

Overall, the first time visitors declined in initial two years while the visitors coming back kept rising with just negative growth in the last two years.

In 2000, the percentage of new comers coming to Caryl Island stood at 8000 before falling down to about 4000 in 2002. Afterwards, the people visiting the Island saw a dramatic growth from 2002 onwards reaching just below 20000 number. This number increased five times to that was in 2002.

By contrary, the foreigners returning from the island experienced peak growth of 10000 people till 2000. From 2000 onwards, the rise became steady for next two years before peaking again in 2006 with 15000 immigrants returning. In the last two years, the numbers started to decline standing at 13500 people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response sits below the minimum word count of 150 words, standing at 143 words. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed. While the student attempts to present an overview and mention some figures from the line graph, the reporting contains major inaccuracies and misreadings of the data. For instance, the student claims that first-time visitors reached 'just below 20000 number,' whereas the graph shows the peak for first-time visitors is around 11800 in 2008. Furthermore, the use of inappropriate demographic labels such as 'percentage,' 'foreigners,' and 'immigrants' demonstrates a misunderstanding of what the visual data actually represents. To improve, the student must ensure that all figures and trends are accurately read from the chart and that the length requirement is fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response shows some basic organization with a discernible introduction, overview, and body paragraphs, which gives it a coherent overall arrangement. However, there is a lack of clear progression between certain points, and cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or misused. For example, the transitional phrase 'By contrary' is incorrect and awkward. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, making it hard for the reader to follow the flow of comparisons. Paragraphing is attempted, but individual paragraphs lack internal cohesion due to abrupt shifts in data reporting. To achieve a higher band, the student should use cohesive devices more accurately and ensure logical links between sentences and paragraphs.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The lexical range is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The student attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'dramatic growth' and 'decline,' but these are offset by noticeable errors in word choice and terminology. Describing regular tourists as 'foreigners' and 'immigrants' is inappropriate for the context of visiting an island. There are also inconsistencies in lexical precision, such as referring to visitor counts as a 'percentage.' While these errors do not completely obscure the intended meaning, they cause some difficulty for the reader and reveal a lack of control over precise topic-specific vocabulary. To progress, the student needs to expand their range of vocabulary and use words in appropriate contexts.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response displays a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic past tense forms. While there are some attempts at complex sentences, they are often flawed, such as 'five times to that was in 2002.' Frequent grammatical errors occur, including missing articles ('in initial two years'), preposition errors ('declined in initial two years' instead of 'over the initial two years'), and awkward phrasing. These errors persist throughout the text and require some effort from the reader to decode the meaning. To reach a higher band, the student must incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures while improving accuracy in basic grammar rules and article usage.

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

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