Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-10-24

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 given graph illustrates the number of first time visitors and returning visitors visited Caryl Island from 2000 to 2008. Over all, the ratio of first time visitors was low compared to returning visitors. However, the number of first time visitors and returning visitors increased in 2008.

It is clearly seen that in beginning the ratio of first time visitors was exactly 8000. While, the number of returning visitors were between 2000 and 4000. However figure of first time visitors dive at 4000 in 2002. After that, the number of first time visitors slightly jump to 12000 in 20008. Whereas, the ratio of returning visitors leap to 10000 in 2002. Meanwhile, the figure of returning visitors was exactly 12000 in 2004. Then, its go up and down till 2008. The number of returning visitors in 2008 were under 14000. In contrast, the ratio of both the first time visitors and the returning visitors in 2008 was between 12000 and 14000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify both visitor groups and include several relevant figures, such as 8,000 first-time visitors in 2000 and 10,000 returning visitors in 2002. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: first-time visitors were not consistently lower, since returning visitors exceeded them from 2002 onward, while first-time visitors were higher in 2000. The claim that both groups increased in 2008 is also misleading: returning visitors fell from their 2006 peak. Some figures are misreported, notably first-time visitors reaching 12,000 in 2008 rather than about 11,800, and the description of returning visitors as going “up and down” misses their overall rise to 2006 followed by a decline. The response is 142 words, below the 150-word minimum; 18 words copied from the prompt were not counted.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence, moving from an introduction and overview to details about the two visitor groups, and time markers such as “in 2002,” “After that,” and “Then” help the reader follow the timeline. However, progression is weakened by repeated and sometimes confusing contrasts: “However” and “Whereas” do not always connect the ideas clearly, and the final sentence repeats the 2008 comparison without adding a clear point. The two series would be easier to compare if the details were grouped into separate paragraphs and linked around shared years or overall trends. Some references, such as “its” and “the ratio of both,” are not immediately clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing a graph, including “increased,” “dive,” “jump,” and “leap,” and the reader can generally understand which visitor group you mean. However, the range is limited and several choices are imprecise or unnatural for formal data reporting. “Ratio” is used where “number” or “figure” is intended, and “dive,” “jump,” and “leap” are overly informal or dramatic for these changes. There are also noticeable word-form and spelling problems, including “Over all” and “20008.” Aim for accurate, neutral terms such as “fell,” “rose,” “reached,” and “declined,” and vary these without overstating the size of a change.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences and use time clauses and contrast, for example, “After that…” and “Whereas…”. However, the range remains limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make parts of the description awkward. The opening phrase “visitors visited” lacks a clear grammatical link, while “the number … were” has subject–verb disagreement. Other examples include “in beginning” without an article, “its go up and down,” and “the number … in 2008 were,” where the verb does not agree with the singular subject. Several sentence openings with “While” or “Whereas” are also left as fragments or joined unclearly. Practise complete comparisons and check agreement, articles, and verb forms when editing.

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

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