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 chart below illustrates about tourists who visited Caribbean island in 2020 and 2017

Overall the most number of visitors was seen in 2017 in Caribbean island and lowest visitors who visited the island that's in year 2010

The most noticeable feature is in 2017 when visitors reached almost 3.5 million in numbers and the visitors had different option for staying if they want the can stay at cruise ships or at island. In 2010 when number of visitors are about 1 million , 0.3 million stayed at cruise and others are on the island and in 2017 out of 3.5 million visitors 2 million choses to stay at ship and 1.5 million choses the island

From 2010 to the number of visitors who likes to stay on cruise ship are increasing but from 2012 it starts depreciating but from 2013 to 2016 it almost doubled in numbers from 0.5 million to 1.5 million and number of visitors who stayed on island starts depreciating and then become stable

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the graph, such as the overall increase in visitor numbers and the comparison between cruise and island stays. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial and contains inaccuracies. For instance, the introduction incorrectly states the years as '2020 and 2017' instead of '2010 and 2017'. Furthermore, the description of trends is occasionally confusing, such as the claim that cruise visitors 'depreciated' after 2012, which does not accurately reflect the data provided. While the key information is present, the lack of precision in reporting the data and the error in the timeframe prevent a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical flow is hindered by awkward phrasing and a lack of cohesive devices. Transitions between sentences are often abrupt, such as the jump from the overview to the specific data points. The use of referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the progression of the argument. While there is a basic structure, the lack of effective linking words and the repetitive sentence structure mean that the information is not presented with a clear, logical progression throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is limited and occasionally inappropriate for an academic report. The word 'depreciating' is used incorrectly to describe a decrease in visitor numbers; 'declining' or 'decreasing' would be more accurate. Similarly, 'choses' is a spelling error for 'chose'. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic meaning, but there is little evidence of less common lexical items or precise control over word choice. To improve, you should focus on using more varied and accurate terminology related to data description.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the response, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('number of visitors are', 'visitors who likes') and tense consistency ('starts depreciating', 'choses'). Sentence structures are generally simple, and there is a lack of complex grammatical forms. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing commas and run-on sentences that make the text harder to read. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar limits the score in this criterion.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.