Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-30

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 total visitors visiting a specific island from 2010 to 2017.

Overall, The total number of visitors shows a upward trend. Although visitors who stayed on cruise ships and visitors who stayed on island fluctuated, it increased overall.

In 2010, Total number of tourists was 1 million and it increased steadily to 1.5 millions in 2012. It holds same trend and became nearly 2.7 millions in 2015. afterwards total number of visitors surged to 3.5 millions.

Number of visitors who stayed on cruise ships was 0.7 millions in 2010 which increased to 1.5 millions in 2013. Though it fell to nearly 1 million tourists, it ended up with 1.5 millions visitors .In 2010, number of visitors who stayed on island was approximately 0.2 million .The figure fluctuated and increased slighly to 0.5 millions in 2013. Afterward the figure dramatically increased and ended up with 2 millions visitors in 2017 give me a band score

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided data points for the categories shown. You covered the overall trend, the total visitors, and the two sub-categories (cruise and island stayers). However, the response lacks a clear overview of the comparative relationship between the two categories over the period. While you mention the figures, the analysis is somewhat mechanical. To reach a higher band, ensure you highlight the most significant differences or shifts, such as the point where island stayers overtook cruise visitors, rather than just listing data chronologically. The summary is accurate but could be more analytical.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices like 'Although', 'In 2010', and 'Afterward', which help the flow. However, the progression between sentences is sometimes a bit repetitive, relying heavily on simple structures to introduce data. The use of referencing could be improved to avoid repeating 'the figure' or 'number of visitors' so frequently. Paragraphing is present, but the transition between the overview and the body could be smoother to better link the general trend to the specific data points.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'upward trend', 'fluctuated', 'surged', and 'dramatically'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'total visitors visiting' (redundant) and 'it holds same trend' (should be 'maintained the same trend'). Additionally, there are consistent errors with pluralization, such as '1.5 millions' instead of '1.5 million'. While these errors do not impede communication, they limit the score as they show a lack of precision in handling numerical data and standard collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, such as the 'Although' clause in the second paragraph. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the total number', 'on island' instead of 'on the island') and subject-verb agreement. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some missing spaces after periods and unnecessary capitalization (e.g., 'Total number'). While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these minor errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on article usage and consistent punctuation would significantly improve the quality of your writing.

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