Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-21
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 data reveals the information about total number of visitors and compares their preferred accommodation of a specific Caribbean island from 2010 to 2017.
At a glance, it is clear that the total number of tourists increased significantly over the period. Additionally, visitors' tendency to staying on the cruise ships is dramatically surged,
Looking at the line graph in detail, in 2010, roughly 1 million tourists had visited the island. That time large number of visitors preferred staying on the island than the cruise ships. The figures were 0.75 million for island and 0.25 million of tourists for the cruise ships. However, the number of tourists living in the island experienced a gradual increase.
Regarding other information, the cruise ship sectors overtook the figure of the land resident section in the middle of 2015 before peaked at 2 million visitors by 2017, while cruise ships curve finished nearly at 1.5 million. Consequently, total number of tourists drastically increased over the timeframe, and reached to almost 3.5 million of tourists by 2017.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| 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, including the overall upward trend and the crossover point in 2015. However, the reporting of data is occasionally inaccurate or confusing. For instance, the text states the cruise ship curve finished at 1.5 million and the total reached 3.5 million, which contradicts the visual data where the island visitors and cruise ship visitors are clearly distinct. The summary of the 'main features' is present, but the lack of precision in interpreting the data points hinders the clarity of the report. To improve, ensure that the data points are accurately transcribed and that the relationship between the categories is clearly explained.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'At a glance', 'However', and 'Consequently' are used to link ideas. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the final paragraph where the distinction between the 'cruise ships curve' and the 'total number' becomes muddled. The progression of ideas is generally logical, but the flow could be improved by using more varied cohesive devices to connect the sentences within the body paragraphs more fluidly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, with attempts at using descriptive verbs like 'surged', 'overtook', and 'drastically'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'visitors' tendency to staying' (should be 'tendency to stay'), 'living in the island' (should be 'staying on the island'), and 'before peaked at' (should be 'before peaking at'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of the report. Expanding the range of vocabulary to include more precise reporting verbs and nouns would help elevate the score.
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, particularly with verb forms and prepositions. Examples include 'total number of visitors and compares their preferred accommodation' (missing article), 'That time large number' (missing article), and 'cruise ships curve finished' (missing article). Additionally, there are issues with tense consistency and subject-verb agreement, such as 'visitors' tendency... is dramatically surged'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they are frequent enough to prevent the response from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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