Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-28
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 5.0)
There is a graph that represents 7 years of tourists visiting a particular Caribbean island between 2010 and 2017,
The graph shows a continuous trend in the total number of tourists visiting a particular Caribbean island. However, over the 7 years, the highest tourist visitation was in 2017, when the percentage rose from 2.5% to 3.5%, which was an impressive result.
Whereas there were different lifestyles for every person; some would like to stay on an island, and some would like to stay on cruise ships.
In four years, there was a high peak of visitors staying on cruise ships rather than islands, but in four years there was the same ratio of 1.5% in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017, and these were the peak years of tourists staying on islands. But there was a decline in 2016, when it fell to 1.25%, which was acceptable to them.
Like the island ratio, cruise ship stays also peaked and declined, but the ratio was higher than on islands, which was an incredible win for them.
In 2017, there was a peak of 2%, which was a record in over 7 years, but there was a decline only in 2012 from 0.5% to 0.25%, and after that there was a continuous increase from 0.25% to 2% in the next five years
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to summarize the data but fails to provide a clear overview or accurately report the main features. The description of the trends is confusing, and the data points mentioned (e.g., '1.5% in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017') do not clearly distinguish between the two categories (island vs. cruise ship). The inclusion of irrelevant personal commentary, such as 'some would like to stay on an island, and some would like to stay on cruise ships,' is inappropriate for an Academic Task 1 report. The response lacks a clear, analytical summary of the key trends, making it difficult for the reader to understand the graph's main message.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is illogical and disjointed. Cohesive devices are used in a mechanical and often inaccurate way, such as the abrupt transition 'Whereas there were different lifestyles for every person.' The referencing is unclear, and the connection between the paragraphs is weak. The lack of a clear structure makes the report difficult to follow, as the writer jumps between data points without a logical sequence or a clear comparison between the two categories of tourists.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, relying on basic terms like 'peak,' 'decline,' and 'increase.' There are instances of awkward word choices, such as 'incredible win for them' and 'acceptable to them,' which are not appropriate for a formal report. The student struggles to use precise terminology to describe statistical trends. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the lack of variety and the use of informal, subjective language prevent the response from reaching a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include incorrect punctuation (e.g., ending the first paragraph with a comma), subject-verb agreement errors, and awkward phrasing. For example, 'there was a high peak of visitors staying on cruise ships rather than islands' is grammatically clunky. While the errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to distract the reader and indicate a lack of control over complex structures.
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.