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.
Overall, the number of visitors staying on cruise ships and total visits increased at the end of the period despite some fluctuations. However the number of visitors staying on the island decreased at the end of the period although it showed a steady increase initially.
The number of visitors staying on cruise ships were around 0.2 million at the beginning, which were surged to 0.5 million in 2010, again decreased slightly to 0.2 million in 2011, then undergone a significant increase throughout the period and reached about 2 million visitors in 2017.
On the other hand, the number of tourists staying on island were approximately 0.7 million in 2010, which remained constant until 2011, then grew steadily, reached 1.5 million visitors at the end.
Additionally, the total number of visitors were started from 1 million and rose over the period to around 2.7 million visitors in 2016, which was climbed again to its peak of about 3.5 million tourists in 2017.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all key features of the graph, including the trends for cruise ship visitors, island stayers, and the total figures. You have successfully identified the main trends and made relevant comparisons. However, there are some inaccuracies in the data reporting. For instance, you mention that cruise ship visitors surged to 0.5 million in 2010, but the graph shows the starting point in 2010 was approximately 0.2 million. Additionally, the statement that island stayers reached 1.5 million is not supported by the visual data, which shows a lower figure. To improve, ensure that data points are read more precisely from the axes to avoid factual errors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific categories. The progression of ideas is generally clear. You use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'However', 'On the other hand', and 'Additionally' to link your points. While the structure is sound, the flow is occasionally hindered by minor grammatical errors within sentences, which makes some transitions feel slightly mechanical. To reach a higher band, focus on varying your cohesive devices and ensuring that the logical links between sentences are smoother and more sophisticated.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fluctuations', 'significant increase', and 'remained constant'. However, there are some word choice errors, such as 'which were surged' and 'which was climbed', which are grammatically incorrect and unnatural. These errors show a limited control over verb forms and passive voice constructions. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensure that your vocabulary is used in the correct grammatical context. Expanding your range of reporting verbs would also help to elevate the quality of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that detract from the overall quality. Specifically, there is a consistent issue with subject-verb agreement and passive voice construction, such as 'the number of visitors... were started' and 'which were surged'. These errors are noticeable and occur throughout the text. While the meaning remains clear, the lack of control over basic grammatical structures prevents the essay from achieving a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of active versus passive voice will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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