Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-12

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 depicts the figure of people visiting a particular Caribbean island between the year 2010 and 2017. Also the number of visitors staying in cruise ships or staying on island.

Overall, it can be seen that total visitors was at maximum and following upward trend. While, visitors staying on cruise ships was lesser in number.

By scrutinising, it can be seen that visitor staying on cruise showed upward trend till 2011 then goes downward in 2012 followed by inclination till 2017. Moreover, the visitors staying on island was at 0.75 million in 2010. However, it goes straight to 2011 and than goes upward to 1.5 million in 2025 followed straight till 2015 than shows declination in 2016 to 1.25 million and then goes upward to 1.5 million in 2017.

Moving towards the rest of data, total visitors was 1 million in 2010 and shows inclination in the graph till 2.75 in 2015 followed straight line to 2016 then goes upward to 3.5 million in 2017.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main features of the graph, including the total visitors and the two categories of stay. However, there are significant inaccuracies in reporting the data. For instance, you mention '2025' as a year, which is outside the scope of the graph, and the data points for the island visitors and total visitors are often misread or incorrectly transcribed. While you attempt to provide an overview, the lack of precision in data reporting prevents a higher score. To improve, ensure you double-check the figures against the axes and avoid including information not present in the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or awkward, such as 'By scrutinising' and 'Moving towards the rest of data'. The progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed, particularly when transitioning between the different categories of visitors. The referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult to follow which data point is being discussed. Improving the variety and naturalness of linking words will help create a smoother flow between your sentences and paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. You rely on repetitive phrasing such as 'upward trend', 'goes downward', and 'inclination'. There are also some word choice errors, such as 'declination' (which is not standard in this context) and 'figure of people' instead of 'number of people'. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for describing trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'surged', or 'remained stable', and ensure you use terms that are appropriate for academic data description.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'total visitors was', 'visitors staying on island was') and incorrect tense usage. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction limits the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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