Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)
The line graph illustrates the number of tourists who visited a Caribbean island from 2010 to 2017.
Overall, the total number of visitors experienced significant growth over the seven-year period. While the number of tourists choosing to stay on cruise ships saw a dramatic and continuous rise, the figures for those staying on the island plateaued in the final years.
In 2010, the total number of tourists stood at 1 million, with the vast majority (750,000) opting to stay on the island, while only 250,000 stayed on cruise ships. Over the next three years, island-based visitors increased to 1.5 million, before stabilizing at this exact figure until 2017, despite a brief dip in 2016.
Conversely, the popularity of cruise ship accommodation grew steadily from 2010 to 2012, followed by a sharp surge. Cruise ship tourists overtook island guests and reached 2 million by 2017. Driven by this surge, the overall number of visitors climbed consistently, pausing briefly at 2.7 million in 2015 and 2016, before rising sharply to a peak of 3.5 million at the end of the period.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.5 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5
The response effectively addresses all parts of the task. You have provided a clear overview of the trends and successfully selected key data points to support your description. The comparison between cruise ship visitors and island-based visitors is well-integrated, particularly the observation regarding the crossover point. The information is accurate and relevant to the graph provided. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points mentioned are precise; for instance, the peak of 3.5 million is clearly identified, and the distinction between the two categories is maintained throughout the report. The response is well-structured and covers the main features comprehensively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group information effectively. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the general trend to specific data points. Cohesive devices such as 'Conversely', 'While', and 'Driven by this surge' are used appropriately to link sentences and ideas. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the overview from the detailed analysis. The flow of information is natural, and the referencing is clear throughout the text, making the report easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You have demonstrated a good range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic report. Phrases such as 'significant growth', 'plateaued', 'sharp surge', and 'consistently' show a good command of descriptive language. The word choices are precise and contribute to the clarity of the report. There are no significant errors in word choice or collocation. To improve further, you could incorporate more sophisticated synonyms or collocations to describe trends, though the current range is sufficient for a high band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5
The response displays a variety of complex sentence structures, such as the use of subordinate clauses ('While the number of tourists... saw a dramatic rise') and participial phrases ('Driven by this surge...'). The grammar is accurate, with very few, if any, errors. Punctuation is used correctly to support the structure of your sentences. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and the control over tense and subject-verb agreement is consistent throughout the text. This demonstrates a high level of grammatical competence.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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