Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-18
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 displays the number of tourists in millions visiting a particular Caribbean island between 2010 and 2017.
The total number of tourists climbed non-stop in these years. They were 1 million in starting year and were 3.5 million in final year. Visitors staying on cruise ships show very positive movement in these years. They grew form 0.25 million to 2 million in the final year. They experienced decline only in 2011 after that they expanded continuously. In comparison visitors staying on island were at 0.75 million in the starting year and remain at for an year. From 2011 to 2013 they increase moderately to 1.5 million and than again do not change for 3 years. Than they fall slightly in 2015 and slowly rose to 1.5 million in 2016. In contrast, the Starting number of visitors staying on island was high but numbers of visitors staying on cruise ships was high in the final year.
To sum up, it should be noticed that total number of visitors did not face any fall in these years
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
You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You covered both categories (cruise ship and island stay visitors) and made relevant comparisons, such as noting the shift in which group was more numerous by the end of the period. However, some of your descriptions are slightly inaccurate or lack precision; for example, stating that island visitors 'remain at for an year' is unclear, and the description of the fluctuations between 2013 and 2016 could be more precise. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are described with clarity and that the overview clearly highlights the most significant trends rather than just listing individual data points.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'In comparison', 'In contrast', and 'To sum up', which help the reader follow your argument. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the flow is slightly disjointed, particularly in the second paragraph where the sequence of events for island visitors is described. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have an adequate range of vocabulary to describe the trends, using terms like 'climbed', 'expanded', 'decline', and 'fluctuate'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and minor errors, such as 'non-stop' instead of 'steadily', 'form' instead of 'from', and 'than' used incorrectly instead of 'then'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your report. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and ensure that your spelling and word forms are accurate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate 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 (e.g., 'They was 1 million'), incorrect verb tenses, and missing articles. Additionally, some sentences are slightly awkward in their construction, such as 'remain at for an year'. While these errors rarely prevent the reader from understanding your point, they are frequent enough to keep the score in the 5.5–6.0 range. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for small errors would significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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