Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-10-29

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 image illustrates a graph showing numbers for the two types of visitors who visited Caryl Island for the period 2000 to 2008.

The graph shows that the number of first time visitors and returning visitors saw a rise over the years. The blue line represents the first time visitors and the red line represents the returning visitors.

Number for the first time visitors was 8000 in the year 2000 and saw a gradual decline loosing 4000 until the year 2002. It began to gradually rise up from the year 2002 from being 4000 first time visitors to almost 12000 in the year 2008.

Returning visitors saw a sharp rise from the year 2000 to 2002 jumping directly from around 3000 to 10000 visitors in just 2 years. After that, it saw a gradual rise until the year 2006 where the number of visitors was around 15000 and then gradually declined to around 13000 in the year 2008.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify both visitor groups and describe their main movements, including the first-time visitors’ fall to 4,000 in 2002 and the returning visitors’ peak around 15,000 in 2006. However, the overview says both series “saw a rise over the years,” which misses the returning visitors’ final decline and the contrasting overall patterns. The comparison between the two lines is also limited, and the first-time series’ 2004 and 2006 values are not reported. The response is one word below the 150-word minimum; the nine words copied from the task prompt are excluded from the count. To strengthen the report, give a more accurate overview and compare the groups at key points.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a general statement, and separate descriptions of the two visitor groups. This makes the information easy to follow, and sequencing phrases such as “After that” and “then” help show changes over time. However, the overview is placed in a separate paragraph but does not clearly guide the detailed account, and the two series are described mostly in isolation rather than compared. Some linking is repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “saw” and “gradually.” A more purposeful overview followed by grouped comparisons—for example, contrasting the 2002 figures and the 2006 peaks—would create stronger progression and make the relationships between the lines clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of trend vocabulary, including “decline,” “sharp rise,” “jumping,” and “gradually declined,” so the main movements are generally understandable. However, some word choices and collocations are awkward or imprecise: “numbers for the two types,” “saw a rise,” and “began to gradually rise up” are less natural in an academic report. “Loosing” is also a spelling error; the intended word is “losing,” though “fell by” would be more suitable for describing the figure. Repetition of “visitors” and “gradually” limits flexibility. Aim for concise, precise expressions such as “the figure for,” “increased,” and “reached a peak,” while varying vocabulary without adding unnecessary wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and longer clauses, including “After that, it saw a gradual rise until the year 2006 where…” This shows some structural variety, and the timeline is generally clear. However, some sentence patterns are awkward or incomplete in their construction, such as “Number for the first time visitors was 8000,” which needs an article and a more natural noun phrase, and “from being 4000 first time visitors to almost 12000,” where the comparison structure is not well formed. The phrase “the year 2006 where” also uses an unsuitable relative word for a year. Use forms such as “The number of first-time visitors was…” and “rose from 4,000 to…” to improve accuracy while retaining varied sentence structures.

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