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 line graph depicts the numbers of tourists visiting Caribbean Island during the time span of 2020 to 2017. The graph shows the types of visitors we have that are visiting the Caribbean Island, one staying on cruise ships and the others staying on island itself. The numerical figures are in millions shown on the y-axis of the graph whereas year they visited on the x-axis.
The number of total tourists increased from 1 million to 3.5 million within the time span of 7 years. However, the people staying on cruise ships is steadily increasing since 2012 whereas the the visitors staying on island had an increasing trend earlier then it remained consistent for few years.
In comparison since from 2010 to 2017, people preferring to stay on cruise ships have consecutively increased from 0.25 million to 2 million, whereas those staying on island had fluctuating trend from 0.75 million to 1.5 million.
In conclusion, nature of visitors preferring to stay has always been changing over the period of time.
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 covers the main features of the graph, such as the overall increase in total visitors and the specific trends for cruise ship and island-stay tourists. However, there are significant inaccuracies in the data reporting. The introduction states the time span is '2020 to 2017', which is logically impossible and contradicts the prompt. Furthermore, the description of the island-stay trend as 'consistent for few years' is vague and does not accurately reflect the fluctuations shown in the data. While the main trends are identified, the lack of precision in data interpretation and the error in the timeframe prevent a higher score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a brief conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'however', 'whereas', and 'in comparison', which help to link ideas. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'In comparison since from 2010 to 2017'. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the referencing is occasionally imprecise, which affects the overall flow. The paragraphing is appropriate for the task, providing a clear structure for the reader to follow the comparison of the two visitor types.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe trends using terms like 'steadily increasing', 'fluctuating trend', and 'consecutively increased'. However, there is some repetition of basic structures and occasional word choice errors, such as 'nature of visitors preferring to stay has always been changing'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on standard descriptors rather than more precise academic terminology. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety and occasional imprecise phrasing limit the score in this criterion.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the the visitors', 'year they visited on the x-axis' (missing article), and 'since from 2010'. Subject-verb agreement is occasionally problematic, as seen in 'the people staying on cruise ships is steadily increasing'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. The control over punctuation and articles needs improvement to reach a higher band level, as the current level of accuracy is inconsistent.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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