Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-11-10

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The graph below shows the number of tourists visiting a particular Caribbean island between 2010 and 2017.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The line graph illustrates the number of people visiting a particular Caribean island between 2010 and 2017. Overall, the total number of tourists increased with the passage of time where as the number of visitors staying on cruise ships has highest number then the visitors staying on island.

As we can see, the total number of people in 2010 was 1 million visitors out of which 0.75 million were those who were staying on island and 0.25 were staying on cruise ships. In 2010 the visitors staying on island is hight then staying of cruiser ships. Meanwhile, the people staying on island were high then staying on cruise ships till 2015.

On the other hand, the number of people staying on cruise ships were lower from starting 2010 till 2015. But in 2016 the numbers crosses the visitors staying on island and in 2016 it become 1.5 million. In 2017 the number of tourists staying on cruise ships were become 2 million and become 25 percent more then number of people staying in on island and total number of trourists become 3.5 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the overall rise in total visitors and describe the main shift from island-based visitors to cruise-ship visitors, which addresses the key features of the graph. Several figures are also reported accurately, including the 2010 total and the 2017 cruise-ship figure. However, the overview is unclear: “cruise ships has highest number” suggests cruise visitors were highest throughout, whereas island visitors remained more numerous until 2016. The account also says cruise visitors were lower “till 2015,” but the crossover occurs in 2016; this needs clearer timing. Include the total’s rise from 1 million to 3.5 million and the island figure’s relative stability after 2013 to make the overview more complete and comparisons more precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about the starting and ending years. Linking phrases such as “Overall,” “Meanwhile,” and “On the other hand” help signal relationships between points. However, progression is sometimes weakened by repetition: the 2010 comparison is stated twice, and the final paragraph repeats the 2016 crossover before giving the 2017 figures. Some links are also not fully logical; “On the other hand” does not clearly introduce a contrast with the preceding sentence. Group the information by trend—for example, island visitors first, then cruise visitors and totals—and use references such as “this figure” only when their meaning is unmistakable.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “total number of tourists,” “visitors staying on island,” and “cruise ships,” so the subject remains clear. There are also attempts to describe change with “increased” and “crosses.” However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or repetitive: “the number … has highest number” is awkward, and “staying of cruiser ships” does not express the intended category naturally. Spelling errors such as “Caribean,” “hight,” and “trourists” also reduce control. Build a small set of precise trend phrases and use them consistently, such as “rose steadily,” “remained stable,” and “overtook,” while checking spelling and avoiding repeated “number of people.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including the clause “out of which 0.75 million were those who were staying on island.” This shows some range, and the main message is generally understandable. However, errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction occur across the response. For example, “the numbers crosses” should use a past-tense verb with a plural subject, while “it become 1.5 million” needs a past-tense form and a clear reference. The opening overview also has faulty construction in “where as the number … has highest number.” Practise writing shorter, controlled comparisons first, then combine them with accurate clauses; check tense consistency because the graph describes past years.

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