Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-15
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 chart compares the Caribbean island in terms of the individuals who visit there over a period of 7 years.
It is clear that the trend among tourists to stay on island or on cruise ships changed throughout the period. While the total number of visitors continously increased from 2010 to 2017.
In 2010, the least number of travelers were opted to stay on cruise ships and the number was almost 0.25 million at the end of year. On the other hand, the island appealed almost the triple amount of explorers as compare to cruise ship to stay there and the number was reached to 0.75 million. The total number of people who visited the Caribbean island in 2010 was 1 million.
The cruise ships faced deline in the number of visitors between 2011 and 2013 but after that the number was dramatically increased till the 2017, when 2 million people opted to stay there. The number of visiters who stayed on island remained the same from 2013 to 2015 with 1.5 million, subsequently it faced deline in 2016 but again reached to 1.5 million in 2017. It is evident that the total number of people who visited Caribbean island increased throughout the period and in 2017 it reached at 3.5 million.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features, trends, and comparisons regarding tourists visiting a Caribbean island between 2010 and 2017. An adequate overview is provided, noting that the total number of visitors increased throughout the period while the distribution between cruise ship passengers and island stayers fluctuated. Key data points are correctly cited, such as the total reaching 3.5 million in 2017 and cruise ship numbers rising to 2 million. However, there are minor issues with expression and occasional data imprecision, such as stating that cruise ship numbers faced a 'deline' between 2011 and 2013 when they actually remained stable or fluctuated slightly. Overall, the response meets the requirements for a Band 6.5 to 7.0 by covering all parts of the prompt with relevant data.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into four logical paragraphs, featuring an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing specific data points. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'In 2010', 'On the other hand', and 'subsequently'. However, some cohesion is mechanically applied or awkward, particularly in the second paragraph where a dependent clause is punctuated as a separate sentence ('While the total number of visitors continously increased from 2010 to 2017.'). Paragraphing is generally appropriate, and the progression of information from overall trends to specific categories is clear. This corresponds to Band 6.0 descriptors due to occasional mechanical referencing and structural faults.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'travelers', 'explorers', 'visitors', and 'trend'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, but these are sometimes marred by spelling errors ('continously', 'deline' instead of decline) and awkward word choices ('appealed almost the triple amount'). Word choice is generally sufficient to convey meaning, but inaccuracies prevent the lexical score from reaching a higher band. These errors do not seriously impede communication, fitting the criteria for Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and transitional structures. However, there are several noticeable grammatical errors and awkward structures, such as 'were opted to stay', 'the island appealed almost the triple amount', and fragment sentences like 'While the total number of visitors continously increased from 2010 to 2017.' Punctuation and verb tense consistency also show lapses. Although the meaning remains understandable, the frequency of errors places this performance firmly at Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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