Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-11
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 presents the number of tourists visiting a Caribbean island during the period of 2010 to 2017. To give the overview, visitors staying on cruise ships fluctuated a bit but showed a gradual increase. After that, the number of visitors staying on the island remained constant for the first year then showed inclination after the figure varied throughout the period. Lastly, total number of visitors visiting the Caribbean island showed agradual increase throughout the years till 2016 then increased. However, elaborating further visitors that stayed on island has most number of tourists as compared to visitors staying on cruise ships. Visitors that stayed at cruise ships were less than half a million at first and went up to 3.5 million. Similarly, tourists that stayed on the island were constant till 2011 and increased till 2013, the number of tourists remained the same that were 1.5 million. After the graph fluctuated in subsequent years. The amount of tourists in 2010 was a million that went up to almost 3 million remained steady till 2016. After that, rose to 3.5 million tourists till 2017.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the graph, including the trends for cruise ship visitors, island stayers, and the total. However, the reporting of data is inconsistent and occasionally inaccurate. For example, the statement that 'visitors that stayed at cruise ships were less than half a million at first and went up to 3.5 million' is confusing and does not clearly align with the visual data provided. The overview is present but lacks clarity due to imprecise language. To improve, ensure that data points are clearly linked to specific years and that the distinction between the three categories is maintained throughout the report.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organized into a single block of text, which makes it difficult to follow. There is a lack of clear paragraphing to separate the introduction, overview, and body details. While some cohesive devices are used, such as 'However' and 'Similarly', they are sometimes used incorrectly or do not effectively link the ideas. The progression of information feels mechanical, and the lack of clear transitions between the different categories of tourists hinders the overall flow of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is somewhat repetitive and limited. Phrases like 'showed a gradual increase' and 'remained the same' are used frequently. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'showed inclination' and 'the amount of tourists', where 'number' would be more appropriate for countable nouns. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic message, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band score. Attempting to use more specific reporting verbs and nouns would enhance the quality of the writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include missing articles ('stayed on island'), incorrect verb tenses, and awkward phrasing ('the number of tourists remained the same that were 1.5 million'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with sentence boundaries. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors is high enough to cause some distraction for the reader. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles would significantly improve the accuracy of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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