Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-17
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 gives information about the millions of tourists who visited a specific Caribbean island between 2010 and 2017.
Overall, the number of visitors who stayed on cruise ships recorded the highest figure, while the number of tourists who stayed on the island reached its lowest point. The total number of visitors seen consistently increased with the pessage of time.
It is quite evident from the line graph that millions of tourists stayed on cruise ships accounted the lowest approximately at 0.3 in 2010. In contrast, the highest figure of tourists who stayed on cruise ships was around 0.8 million, in 2010. The number of poeple who visited the Caribbean island remained stable in 2011. From 2011 onward, the number of visitors was fluctuating until 2013.
Furthermore, by 2014, the number of visitors who stayed on island remained unchanged at 1.5 million, followed by 2016, the tourists seen slightly decline at 1.3 million. However, the total number of tourists was the higest in 2017, at 3.5 million. The number of tourists who stayed on cruise ships was around 2 million, while number of tourists who stayed on the island was around 1,5 million.
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 covers the main features of the graph, such as the overall upward trend and the distinction between cruise ship and island-stay tourists. However, there are significant inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, you state that cruise ship visitors were at their lowest in 2010 at 0.3 million, but then immediately claim the highest figure was also in 2010 at 0.8 million, which is contradictory and confusing. Furthermore, the description of the data points is often vague or mathematically inconsistent with the provided graph. To improve, ensure that your data selection is precise and that your comparisons are logically consistent throughout the report.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices like 'In contrast', 'Furthermore', and 'However' to link ideas. However, the progression of information is sometimes disjointed, particularly in the third paragraph where the transition between years and categories feels abrupt. The referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the specific trends being described. Strengthening the logical flow between sentences and ensuring that cohesive devices are used to connect related data points would improve the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fluctuating', 'remained stable', and 'accounted for'. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'with the pessage of time' (passage) and 'tourists seen slightly decline' (which should be 'tourists saw a slight decline'). Some collocations are also imprecise, which occasionally hinders the clarity of your report. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensuring that your word forms are accurate in context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('tourists seen slightly decline'), missing articles, and incorrect preposition usage ('stayed on island' instead of 'stayed on the island'). Additionally, there are punctuation errors, such as the unnecessary comma in '0.8 million, in 2010'. These errors occur throughout the text. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and ensuring that complex structures are formed correctly.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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