Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-20

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 illustrates the number of visitors on a particular Caribbean island between 2010 and 2017.

Overall, we see a gradual hype of tourists staying on island from 2011 to 2013. Moreover, tourists staying on cruise ships were increasing every year than the previous one till 2017.

In the year 2010 visitors staying on island were 0.7 million and visitors staying on cruise ships were 0.3 million approximately. By the following two year 2011 and 2012 sum of tourists on island remains same on the first year and touches to 1.3 million in 2012 whereas cruise ships tourists jumps to 0.5 million and then in the 2012 it reaches back to 0.3 million. Furthermore, we see a massive interest of tourists staying on cruise ships since 2012 and it shows progress every year and till 2017 the total of cruise ships visitors were 2 million approximately.

On the other hand, visitors on island were increase to 1.5 million in 2013 and almost remains same in 2014 and 2015 while we see a little decline in 2016 and it fells to number 1.2 million and then gain its position back in 2017 and reaches to 1.5 million again.

However, the total number of tourists increases from 1 million to 3.5 million approximately in these eight years from 2010 to 2015.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided relevant data points to support your description. You covered both categories (island stayers and cruise ship visitors) and made comparisons between them. However, the overview is slightly weak; while you mention a 'gradual hype', it is not entirely clear or accurate in describing the overall trends. Additionally, some of your data reporting is slightly confusing, such as the statement about the total number of tourists increasing to 3.5 million, which seems to misinterpret the combined data from the graph. To improve, ensure your overview clearly highlights the most significant trends, such as the steady growth of cruise visitors versus the fluctuating nature of island stayers.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', and 'On the other hand' to transition between ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing and some mechanical use of these devices. For instance, the transition between the 2010-2012 period and the later years could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, but ensure that your sentences are linked more naturally to avoid a list-like feel. Overall, the structure is coherent, but the progression of ideas could be more refined.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to describe the graph, using terms like 'gradual', 'massive interest', and 'decline'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'gradual hype' (which is not standard collocation) and 'fells' (the past tense of 'fall' is 'fell'). You also use 'sum of tourists' and 'total of cruise ships visitors' in a way that feels slightly unnatural. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensuring that your collocations are natural. Avoid informal or imprecise phrasing to maintain a formal tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Examples include 'visitors staying on island were increase' (should be 'increased'), 'remains same' (should be 'remained the same'), and 'it fells to number 1.2 million' (should be 'it fell to 1.2 million'). There are also issues with article usage and subject-verb agreement throughout the text. While these errors do not completely obscure the meaning, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for tense consistency and basic sentence construction.

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

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