Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-03
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 graph illustrates the number of tourists staying on island, staying on cruise ships and total visitors on a particular Caribbean island between 2010 and 2017.
Overall, total number of visitors experienced the most significant growth over the period. Total number of visitors recorded the highest growth reaching 3.5 million in the final year. Visitor staying on cruise ships and on island also increase but to lesser extent.
In starting year, their is 1 million total visitors out of which 0.75 million were staying on island and 0.25 were staying on cruise ships. Total number of visitors expanded continuously over the period. while visitors staying on island and on cruise ships experienced both up and down in their numbers.
In 2011,visitors staying on cruise ships slightly grew to 0.5 million while visitors staying on island remain unchanged. In 2012, visitors staying on cruise ships went down moderately to 0. 2 million in compare with visitors staying on island sharply increase to 1.2 million. After that visitor staying on cruise ships increase continuously till final year.
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
You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You covered all three categories (total visitors, cruise ship passengers, and island stayers) and made relevant comparisons. However, the report is incomplete as it stops abruptly after 2012, failing to describe the data for the remaining years up to 2017. To reach a higher band, you must ensure that all data points are covered and that the summary is balanced. The inclusion of specific figures is good, but ensure these are accurate and consistently presented throughout the response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Overall' and 'In starting year', to structure your points. However, the flow is occasionally disrupted by mechanical phrasing and some awkward transitions between sentences. For instance, the jump between the overview and the detailed breakdown could be smoother. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus, avoiding the abrupt ending that leaves the reader without a complete picture of the final years.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'significant growth', 'expanded', and 'moderately'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'in compare with' (should be 'compared to') and 'up and down' (which is informal; 'fluctuations' would be better). The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, but it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. Focusing on more academic collocations and avoiding informal phrasing will help you improve your score in this area.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include missing articles ('on island' instead of 'on the island'), subject-verb agreement issues ('visitors... remain unchanged' instead of 'remained'), and punctuation errors (e.g., '0. 2'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent. To improve, pay closer attention to basic grammar rules, particularly article usage and verb tense consistency, as the report describes past data and should maintain a consistent past tense throughout.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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