Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-10-12

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.

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 how the number of first time visitors and returning visitors changed in Caryl Island between 2000 and 2008.

Overall,returning visitors showed an upwaed trend, whereas first time visitors generally declined. It is also noticeable that after a year, returning visitors rapidly decline though first time visitors tends to increased.

At the beginning of the period 2000, returning visitors stood at 3000, before rising gradually to 10000 in 2002. The figure then increased sharply, reaching a peak of 15000 in 2006. Then it dramatically decreased and reached ar slight less then14000 at 2008.

By contrast, first time visitors remained high at the begainning and it was 8000 in the year of 2000. But after that it rapidly decreased and reaching a low of 4000 in 2002.Though it was low in 2002, it dramatically rose up at 12000 in 2008. Though first time visitors were increased over the period but returning visitors were always upward than first time visitors who visited in Caryl Island.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify both visitor groups and give a broad comparison, with relevant figures such as returning visitors rising from 3,000 to a peak of about 15,000 and first-time visitors falling to 4,000 in 2002. However, the overview is not fully accurate: returning visitors did not show an overall upward trend, since they ended below their 2006 peak, and first-time visitors generally increased after 2002 rather than declined. The claim that returning visitors “rapidly decline” after a year is unclear and does not match the sequence. You also omit the first-time visitors’ rise to about 9,300 in 2006. A more precise overview and clearer reporting of the later trends would make the key features more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs describing each visitor group. This gives the information a coherent overall arrangement. However, progression is weakened by unclear or contradictory statements, particularly “returning visitors showed an upwaed trend” followed by “returning visitors rapidly decline,” and the final comparison repeats the idea that returning visitors were higher. Linking words such as “Overall,” “By contrast,” and “Then” help guide the reader, but some are used mechanically or connect ideas whose relationship is unclear. Improve cohesion by grouping each series’ changes in chronological order and using clear references to the relevant years and figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “stood at,” “reaching a peak,” “decreased,” and “By contrast,” so the main trends are generally understandable. However, several spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision: “upwaed,” “begainning,” “ar slight less,” and “rose up” are inaccurate or unnatural. Some expressions are also imprecise, such as “after a year” and “always upward than,” which make the intended comparisons difficult to interpret. Aim for accurate, conventional trend language and check spelling carefully. For example, use “increased” or “rose” rather than “rose up,” and express comparisons as “remained higher than” rather than “upward than.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses with “whereas,” “before,” and “though.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. For example, “first time visitors tends to increased” has problems with agreement and verb form, while “it rapidly decreased and reaching a low” mixes verb forms. The sentence beginning “Though first time visitors were increased” also uses an incorrect passive construction. Punctuation and spacing are inconsistent, as in “2002.Though,” and some sentences join several ideas without clear grammatical control. Practise consistent past-tense reporting, subject–verb agreement, and parallel verb forms when describing changes.

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