Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-14
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 displays information about number of tourists visiting a particular Caribbean island between 2010 and 2017.
Starting with the visitors staying on cruise ships in the year 2010 less than 0.5 preferred to stay while in the coming years it rose above 1 ,reaching at almost 2 in the year 2017 . Next we have visitors staying on island which started with more than 0.5 people liking and stayed unchanged in the year 2013,2014 and 2105 which is 1.5 but recorded the lowest figure less than 1.5 and again increased in the year 2017 . The last we have the total which started from 1 and surged up to 2.5 in the year 2014 and experienced a rise in the year 2017 with just the double of the year 2014.
Overall, it is clearly evident that visitors staying on cruise ships experienced fluctuations , visitors staying island on changed irregularly and the total rose quickly .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the graph, including the three categories and the overall trend. However, the data reporting is often inaccurate or confusing. For instance, stating 'less than 0.5 preferred to stay' is vague, and the claim that the total in 2017 was 'just the double of the year 2014' is mathematically incorrect based on the provided graph. The overview is present but lacks precision, as it describes the trends as 'fluctuations' or 'irregular' without clearly highlighting the significant upward trajectory of all categories. To improve, focus on accurately reading the axes and providing specific, verified data points rather than vague descriptions.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organized into three paragraphs, which is a standard structure for Task 1. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical. The use of cohesive devices is limited, relying on simple transitions like 'Starting with', 'Next', and 'The last'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'visitors staying island on changed irregularly', where the phrasing is awkward and disrupts the flow. Paragraphing is used, but the internal logical connection between sentences could be strengthened to ensure a smoother transition between the data points described.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There is repetitive use of basic verbs like 'staying', 'rose', and 'increased'. Some phrasing is unnatural, such as 'people liking and stayed unchanged' and 'just the double of the year'. There is a lack of variety in reporting verbs and nouns related to data trends. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'peaked', 'remained stable', 'surged', or 'witnessed a significant increase'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'displays information about number of tourists' (missing article), 'reaching at almost 2' (incorrect preposition), and 'visitors staying island on changed' (word order error). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct article usage would 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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