Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-05
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 proportion of visitors to Caribbean island from 2010 to 2017. Data is measured in millions.
Overall, the number of visitors to Caribbean island increased significantly over the seven year period. Visitors staying on cruise ships were low in past time as compared to visitors staying on island, but as going ahead number of visitors staying on cruse has crossed the figures of visitors staying on island.
In 2010, approximately 2.5 millions of visitors who stayed preferred staying on cruise visited Caribbean Island, whereas almost 0.8 million visitors preferred staying on island itself. Figures are of both the visitors came nearly close to each other in 2011.
In 2015, figures for both the visitors rose significantly and reached 1.5 million for visitors staying on island and almost 1,3 million for visitors staying on cruise. The number visitors staying on island remained untouched on 1.5 million in 2017, after declined slightly by 0.2 million in 2016. However, visitors staying on cruise maintained increasing trend and reached its peak of 2 million in 2017.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the graph, including the overall trend and specific data points. However, there are significant inaccuracies in the data reporting. For instance, you state that in 2010, cruise visitors were 2.5 million and island visitors were 0.8 million, which contradicts the visual data (where island visitors were higher). Furthermore, the description of the 2015 figures is confusing and inaccurate. While you identify the main trends, the failure to accurately report the provided data points significantly impacts the task achievement score, as the primary purpose of an Academic Task 1 is to report information accurately.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. There is a clear attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'In 2010', 'In 2015', and 'However'. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing, such as 'as going ahead number of visitors'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when discussing the two categories of visitors, which makes the comparison difficult to follow. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer to the correct group would enhance the coherence of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision required for a higher band. You use basic descriptors like 'low' and 'increased significantly'. There are some noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'as going ahead' and 'remained untouched on 1.5 million'. The repetition of 'visitors staying on island' and 'visitors staying on cruise' makes the text feel somewhat mechanical. To improve, try to use more varied synonyms and precise reporting verbs to describe the trends shown in the graph.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'proportion of visitors to Caribbean island' (missing article), 'figures are of both the visitors came nearly close' (awkward syntax), and 'after declined slightly' (incorrect verb form). While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors—particularly with articles, verb tenses, and sentence construction—prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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