Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-13

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 graph illustrates the number of tourists visiting a particular Caribbean island over the period from 1993 to 2000.

Overall, all three sectors increased significantly throughout the period, with visitors staying on cruise ships recording the highest figures, despite some fluctuations. By contrast, the number of visitors who stayed on the island remained relatively stable, although it increased slightly.

Regarding visitors who stayed on the cruise ships, the number fluctuated, falling to approximately 350,000 in 2012. Despite this decline, the figure remained the highest among the three categories and reached 2 million by 2017. Overall, the number of visitors on the cruise ships experienced a considerable upward trend.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the ability to fully develop the task. Furthermore, there is a major discrepancy between the data provided in the prompt (2010–2017) and the dates mentioned in your introduction (1993–2000). You have also failed to report on all categories shown in the graph, as you only mention cruise ship visitors and those staying on the island, omitting the third category entirely. To improve, ensure you carefully read the graph's axes and legend, and provide a more comprehensive summary that covers all data points to meet the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction and an overview. You use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'By contrast', and 'Regarding' to signal shifts in the narrative. However, because the response is significantly under-length and lacks a full analysis of all data categories, the progression of ideas feels incomplete. Paragraphing is used, but the brevity of the text makes the overall structure feel underdeveloped. To achieve a higher band, ensure that each paragraph is fully developed with supporting data and that transitions between sentences are used to create a more fluid and cohesive flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fluctuated', 'considerable upward trend', and 'relatively stable' appropriately. These choices are relevant to describing trends in a graph. However, the limited length of the response restricts your ability to showcase a wider range of lexical items. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' and use more precise collocations to describe the intensity of the changes observed in the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Despite this decline, the figure remained the highest...' and 'The graph illustrates the number of tourists...'. The grammar is generally accurate, and there are no major errors that cause confusion for the reader. However, the limited length means there is not enough evidence of a wide range of complex structures to warrant a higher score. To improve, aim to use a greater variety of subordinate clauses and passive voice constructions, which are particularly useful for describing data in academic writing.

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

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