Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-03
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 chart illustrates how the number of tourists visiting a Caribbean island changed over a period of seven years, starting from 2010.
Overall, it can be seen that there were all sectors saw upward trends over the years. Notably, Total categories ranked the top position in the years given in the chart.
According to the chart, the figure for visitors staying on cruise ships started at approximately 0.3 million in 2010, compared to around 0.8 million of visitors staying on island. As for visitors staying on cruise ships, the data gradually increased with slight fluctuations 2 millions at the end. However, the same cannot be said for visitors staying on island, which was rose moderately to 1.5 millions in 2013, then the data remained stable and maintained the same level in 2013 to 2015. After which, this was slightly declined to well above 1 million in 2016, finally, it improved slightly to 1.5 millions in 2017.
In addition, the number total visitors began at 1 million in 2010. After that the data surged gradually and peaked at 3.5 millions in 2017.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview. You covered all categories (cruise ship visitors, island stay visitors, and total visitors) and made relevant comparisons. However, the report lacks precision in some areas. For example, stating that cruise ship visitors reached '2 millions' is inaccurate based on the visual data, and the description of the 'total' category is somewhat brief. To reach a higher band, ensure that data points are read more accurately from the graph and that the relationship between the sub-categories and the total is explicitly explained, as the total is simply the sum of the other two.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Notably', 'According to the chart', and 'In addition' to guide the reader. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing, such as 'there were all sectors saw upward trends', which is grammatically disjointed. Additionally, the transition between the description of the two visitor types and the total visitors could be smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the internal cohesion within the third paragraph is slightly mechanical due to repetitive sentence structures.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'upward trends', 'fluctuations', 'remained stable', and 'surged'. However, there are some errors in word choice and collocation. For instance, 'Total categories ranked the top position' is unnatural; 'Total visitors was the highest category' would be better. You also use 'millions' as a plural noun incorrectly in this context (e.g., '1.5 millions'), whereas '1.5 million' is the correct form. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'there were all sectors saw upward trends' (double verb structure) and 'which was rose moderately' (incorrect passive/active voice). There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for verb tense consistency would significantly improve your accuracy.
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