Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-10-17

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 the number of first time visitors and returning visitors who visited Caryl Island from 2000 to 2008.

The graph shows that over all number of returning visitors growth has been increased as compare to the first time visitors.

Although, the number of first time visitors was 8000 in the year 2000, it dropped to 4000 in 2002, whereas the number of returning visitors were around 3000 in the year 2000 and increased dramatically to 10,000 in the year 2002.

Moreover, the number of returning visitors rose significantly around 15,000 in the year 2006; however, it dropped down to13,000 in the year 2008. While the number of first visitors climbed from the year 2002 to 2008 and reached till 12000.

In conclusion, the number of returning visitors shown a drastic growth form the year 2000 to 2008, whereas the first time visitors growth fluctuated a little in Caryl Island.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify both visitor groups and report several key movements accurately: first-time visitors fell from 8,000 to 4,000 before rising, while returning visitors climbed from about 3,000 to 15,000 in 2006 and then declined. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: returning visitors did not show overall growth “as compare to” first-time visitors in a way that clearly summarises the comparison, and the conclusion calls the first-time trend only slightly fluctuating despite its substantial rise after 2002. The response also contains 135 words, below the required 150, so the report is underdeveloped. Add a clear overview of the contrasting trends and include a little more precise comparison across the period.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence: an introduction, descriptions of the two series, and a concluding sentence. Time markers such as “in the year 2000,” “in 2002,” and “in 2006” help readers follow the data. However, progression is not consistently clear because the overview and conclusion repeat broad claims without explaining the main comparison. Some linking devices are awkward or confusing, particularly “Although” at the start of a sentence that does not complete a contrast, and “While” introduces a fragment-like comparison. Group the information more deliberately—for example, give a concise overview, then compare the two trends—and use fewer, more accurate connectors.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “visitors,” “dropped,” “increased,” “rose significantly,” and “climbed,” so the main trends are generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word combinations or forms are noticeably inaccurate, such as “growth has been increased,” “as compare to,” and “drastic growth form.” These choices make parts of the report less natural and occasionally obscure the intended meaning. Aim for precise trend language and standard collocations, such as “the number increased,” “compared with,” and “a sharp rise.” Also avoid repeating “number of visitors” when a clear reference to each group can be used.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some complex sentence forms, including comparisons joined with “whereas” and “however,” but control is inconsistent. Errors include subject–verb agreement in “the number of returning visitors were” and “the number … shown,” as well as the faulty construction “Although …, it dropped” without a complete contrasting clause. There are also problems with articles and sentence boundaries, and the spacing in “to13,000” needs correction. These errors sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. Practise building complete comparison sentences and checking that the grammatical subject agrees with its verb; for example, “the number … was” and “the number … rose.”

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