Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-23
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 illustrates the number of tourists visiting a Caribbean island measuring in millions from 2010 to 2017.
Overall, the graph highlights that the number of tourists visiting a Caribbean island has grow. Despite initially most visitors staying at island, Visitors staying at cruise will surpass it over the time period.
A closer look at the graph show that the tourists staying at island remains constant at 0.7 millions tourists during 2010 to 2011, and it in increase moderately to 1.5 millions till 2013 and drop back to 1.3 millions in 2016, then it rebounded remarkably to its peak.
On the other hand, the visitor staying at cruise had a slight incline from 0.3 millions tourists to 0.5 millions tourists during 2010 to 2011 then it drop back slightly to its initial position in 2012, Furthermore this figure skyrocketed from 0.3 millions visitor to 2 millions visitor in 2017
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the graph, identifying the trends for both categories. However, the overview is slightly underdeveloped and contains grammatical errors that obscure the comparison. While you successfully identified the peak and the general trajectory of both lines, the description of the data points lacks precision. For instance, stating the island visitors 'rebounded remarkably to its peak' is vague without specifying the final figure. To improve, ensure that your overview clearly contrasts the two trends and that all data points are accurately reported with consistent units of measurement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Despite', 'On the other hand', and 'Furthermore'. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing and mechanical transitions. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the second paragraph where the subject 'it' is used repeatedly, making it difficult to track whether you are referring to the island visitors or the cruise visitors. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring clear subject-verb agreement will enhance the overall progression.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'skyrocketed', 'incline', and 'constant'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'measuring in millions' instead of 'measured in millions' and 'visitors staying at cruise' instead of 'cruise visitors'. Additionally, there is repetitive use of the word 'millions' and 'tourists'. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise terminology for data description and ensure that your word choices are grammatically appropriate for the context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'has grow' (should be 'has grown'), 'graph show' (should be 'graph shows'), and 'it in increase' (should be 'it increased'). There are also issues with pluralization, such as '0.7 millions tourists' (should be '0.7 million tourists'). While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of basic errors in verb tense and subject-verb agreement prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for these fundamental grammatical patterns.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.