Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-25
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 how many people visited a Caribbean island in the year 2020 and 2017.
Overall, the total number of visitors experienced an upward trend throughout the period, while the number of visitors staying on the island showed a downward trend at the start and end of the period. Although visitors staying on the cruise ships initially had a lower rate, it outpaced island visitors at the end of the period.
The rate of tourists who stayed on the island remained stable at around 0.7 million from 2010 to 2011. Then it rose to almost 1.3 million in 2012, which showed a gradual increase to 1.5 million in 2013 and remained stable till 2015. However, it gradually decreased to roughly 1.4 million in 2016, before maintaining its position again in 2017.
From 2010 to 2011, visitors staying on cruise ships slightly increase around 0.3 to 0.5 million, before falling down in 2012. After 2013, it had started increasing sharply from 0.5 to 2 million visi
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to complete the task as it is incomplete, ending abruptly mid-sentence. While you successfully identified the main trends and provided an overview, the final paragraph is unfinished, meaning the data for the cruise ship visitors is not fully reported. To reach a higher band, you must ensure all data points are covered and the summary is brought to a logical conclusion. Additionally, there is a factual error in the introduction, where you mention '2020' instead of '2010'. Accuracy in reporting the provided data is essential for this criterion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'However', and 'Then' to connect ideas. However, the abrupt ending significantly disrupts the flow and coherence of the final section. To improve, ensure that your paragraphs are balanced and that you complete your sentences and thoughts fully. The use of referencing is generally clear, but the lack of a finished conclusion or final sentence makes the overall structure feel incomplete.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'upward trend', 'downward trend', 'outpaced', and 'remained stable'. These are appropriate for describing graph data. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'slightly increase' (should be 'slightly increased') and 'maintaining its position' (which is slightly unnatural in this context). The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, but more precise reporting verbs and nouns would elevate the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'slightly increase' instead of the past tense 'increased', and 'it had started increasing' where the past simple 'it started' would be more appropriate. Additionally, there are issues with subject-verb agreement and tense consistency. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading your work to ensure consistent use of past tenses when describing historical data.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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