Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-09
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 illustration depicts the number of tourists visit a particular Caribbean island in the period between 2010 and 2017.
Overall, the trend shows that the total number of visitors increased gradually every year throughout the time, with a few exception, staying either on cruise ships or island.
The tourists prefer to stay on the island compared to staying on cruise ships while touring the Caribbean island except in the year 2016 and 2017.
There were 0.7 millions tourists who stayed on the island, which remained the same in 2011, but slightly increased in the year 2012. However, in the year 2013, 2014, and 2015, they number remained the unchanged, and even reduced in the year 2016, but restored in 2017.
In contrast, 0.2 millions visitors stayed on the island in the year 2010, that increased sharply to 0.5 millions, in 2011, while decreased in 2012. Nevertheless, it kept gradually rising from 2013 to 2017, and the number jumped to a 2 millions tourists in the year 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
The response provides a clear overview of the main trends, identifying the general increase in tourism. However, the report suffers from significant factual inaccuracies regarding the data. For instance, you state that visitors staying on the island remained at 0.7 million in 2011, whereas the graph shows a different figure. Furthermore, you confuse the categories of 'cruise ship' and 'island' visitors in the final paragraph, leading to a misinterpretation of the data. While you have attempted to select and report main features, the lack of precision in reading the graph prevents a higher score. To improve, ensure that your data points are accurately transcribed from the visual aid.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific categories. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'However', and 'Nevertheless' to link ideas. However, the progression of information is sometimes hindered by confusing sentence structures and inaccurate data reporting. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when discussing the two categories of visitors. To improve, focus on ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that transitions between sentences flow more naturally without relying on repetitive structures.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'gradually', 'sharply', and 'restored'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choices and inaccuracies, such as 'they number remained the unchanged' and 'restored in 2017'. These errors do not generally impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your report. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations for describing trends, such as 'remained stable' instead of 'remained the unchanged', and ensure subject-verb agreement is consistent throughout your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt to use complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'the number of tourists visit' (should be 'visiting'), 'with a few exception' (should be 'exceptions'), and 'they number remained'. These errors are noticeable and occur throughout the text. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these slips prevents the writing from being considered error-free. To improve, proofread your work specifically for pluralization, article usage, and subject-verb agreement.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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