Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-07-28

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 shows a number of tourists visiting a particular Caribbean island in the year 2010 and 2017. Overall, the total visitors had dominated the Caribbean island and it raised in the year 2017. The visitors who stayed on island had fluctuations and it was declined in the year 2017.

In the year 2010, the total visitors and the visitors stayed on the cruise ships had rapidly increased while, there were few ups and downs for the people who stayed on the cruise ships. There was a rapid rise in the in the total visitors from 1 to 3.5 millions of visitors. The visitors who stayed on island were declined and increased a little with some changes.

In contrast, the total visitors were highest in the year 2017 and they was a sudden increase in the visitors while, the visitors who stayed on cruise ships were the second highest because they increased slowly from step to step. Moreover, the visitors who stayed on the island had so many changes in the middle so, it was having the less visitors than compared to the others.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response attempts to summarize the graph but fails to provide a clear or accurate overview. The description of the data is often confusing, such as stating 'total visitors had dominated the Caribbean island' or describing trends in a way that contradicts the visual data (e.g., claiming a rapid increase in 2010 when the graph shows a starting point). Key features, such as the specific figures for cruise ship visitors versus island stayers, are not clearly distinguished or reported. The summary lacks the precision required for an Academic Task 1 response, as the trends described are vague and occasionally inaccurate.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the progression of ideas is often illogical or difficult to follow. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In contrast' and 'Moreover', but they are sometimes used incorrectly or do not effectively link the ideas. For instance, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is abrupt, and the internal structure of the sentences often lacks clarity, making it difficult for the reader to track the comparison of the three categories of tourists over the seven-year period.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'ups and downs', 'so many changes', and 'step to step' are informal and imprecise for an academic report. There is a lack of variety in reporting verbs and nouns related to data trends (e.g., 'fluctuations', 'plateaued', 'surged'). While the meaning is generally conveyed, the lack of precise terminology for describing statistical data limits the score. The student relies on basic descriptors rather than using more sophisticated vocabulary appropriate for describing trends in a graph.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('they was a sudden increase', 'visitors who stayed on island were declined') and awkward phrasing ('it was having the less visitors'). There is a limited range of sentence structures, and the attempt at complex sentences often results in errors. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the basic meaning is usually understandable, the high frequency of errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

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