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 below shows the number of tourists visiting a particular Caribbean island between 2010 and 2017.
The graphs shows that in the year 2010, visitors staying on the cruise ships were less than a half million that rose up to 0.5 million in 2011, then decreased in 2012 . In the next year in 2013, the graph rose again to 0.5 million gradually went to 1 million in 2014. It rose gradually to the maximum of 2 million in 2017, visitors who were staying on the cruise ships.
Now, considering the visitors staying on the island in 2010, then we came to know that in the year 2010,the visitors staying on the island were 0.7 million. The graph shows that the strength remained the same till 2011,after that the number of the visitors rose up in the middle of the year to 1 million and in 2012 it reached near 1.5 million visitors. The line indicated that from 2013 to 2015, more visitors stayed on the island about 1.5 million.
The total visitors contained 1 million in 2010 that rose up to 3.5 million in 2017.
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 addresses the task by describing the trends for cruise ship and island visitors. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical, listing data points rather than synthesising the information. While the main features are identified, the comparison between the two categories could be more explicit. The overview is missing; a summary of the overall upward trend for both categories would have significantly improved the score. Additionally, some data points are described with limited precision, such as 'near 1.5 million', which could be more accurately interpreted from the graph. To improve, ensure you provide a clear overview paragraph that highlights the most significant trends before detailing the data.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'The graph shows that' are used repeatedly, making the flow feel mechanical. There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to connect ideas between sentences and paragraphs. For example, the transition between the cruise ship data and the island visitor data is abrupt. Improving the variety of transition signals and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the logical progression of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There is a heavy reliance on simple verbs like 'rose' and 'stayed'. The phrasing 'the strength remained the same' is an unnatural collocation for describing visitor numbers; 'remained stable' or 'stayed constant' would be more appropriate. Furthermore, there are some awkward phrasings, such as 'then we came to know that', which is too informal for an Academic Task 1 report. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise reporting verbs and nouns related to trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'peaked', or '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. For instance, 'The graphs shows' contains a subject-verb agreement error, and 'visitors staying on the cruise ships were less than a half million that rose up' is syntactically clumsy. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and periods. While the meaning is generally clear, these errors occur frequently enough to distract the reader. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed with proper subordination.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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