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 graph illustrates the number of tourists visiting a specific Caribbean island from 2010 to 2017, categorized by those staying on cruise ships, those staying on the island, and the total overall count.
Overall, the total number of visitors experienced significant growth over the seven-year period. While visitors staying on the island dominated the numbers in the earlier years, cruise ship visitors saw a strong upward trend and eventually surpassed island-staying tourists by the end of the period. Started at 1 million in 2010 and grew steadily, reaching 2.5 million by 2014. After remaining flat at 2.75 million between 2015 and 2016, it surged to a peak of 3.5 million in 2017.
Visitors Staying on Island: Stood at approximately 0.75 million in 2010. This figure rose to 1.5 million by 2013 and remained completely stable at that level through 2015. After a slight drop to 1.25 million in 2016, it recovered back to 1.5 million in 2017.Began as the lowest category at around 0.25 million in 2010. Following a minor dip to around 0.25 million in 2012, cruise ship visitor numbers grew consistently, overtaking island-staying visitors in 2016 (at 1.5 million) and finishing at a high of 2.0 million 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 of the data. You covered all three categories (total, island-staying, and cruise ship visitors) and made relevant comparisons, such as noting when cruise ship visitors overtook island-staying tourists. However, the structure of your body paragraphs is problematic. The second paragraph starts with a sentence fragment ('Started at 1 million...') that lacks a clear subject, and the final paragraph is missing a clear transition or introductory phrase for the cruise ship data, making it appear as a continuation of the previous paragraph's analysis. Despite these structural issues, the key information is accurate and well-selected.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized, but the paragraphing is inconsistent. The final paragraph contains two distinct topics (island-staying and cruise ship visitors) without a clear break or transition, which disrupts the flow. While you use some cohesive devices like 'While' and 'After', the lack of clear paragraph structure and the presence of sentence fragments make the progression feel mechanical at times. To reach a higher band, ensure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that transitions between ideas are explicitly stated rather than implied.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'experienced significant growth', 'strong upward trend', and 'surpassed' are used effectively to describe the data. There is some repetition of 'million' and 'visitors', which is expected in a data description task, but you could improve by using synonyms like 'tourists', 'holidaymakers', or 'arrivals'. The word choice is generally accurate and appropriate for an academic report, though there is little evidence of less common or more sophisticated lexical items.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
Your writing contains several grammatical errors that affect the overall quality. The most significant issue is the use of sentence fragments, such as 'Started at 1 million in 2010' and 'Began as the lowest category...', which lack subjects. Additionally, there are minor punctuation issues. While you use some complex structures, the frequency of these errors prevents a higher score. To improve, ensure every sentence has a clear subject and verb, and proofread to ensure that your sentences are complete thoughts rather than dependent clauses.
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