Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-23
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 5.0)
The graph demonstrates the number of visitors that went to Caribbean island for the years betwen 2010 and 2017.
In a cursory glance it is evident that the sharp peak shows an overall surge in the sum of tourists staying on cruise ships and on island from 1 million in 2010 to eventually 3.5 million in 2017, this graph is overall higher than the other ones.
The diagram showcases that the visitors most likely preferred to stay on cruise ships across all these years as the curve remains almost consistent from approximately 0.7 miilion visitors in 2010 to eventually 1.5 million in 2013, 2014, 2015, and in 2017.
Additionally the gradient displays a significant hike in the number of people staying on the island with initially starting from around 0.25 miilion in 2010, with gradual and constant slope leading to 2 million tourists in 2017.The sum gradient is generally higher than the other graph.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The student attempts to address the task by describing the overall trend and mentioning the main categories shown in the graph. However, there are significant factual inaccuracies in the data interpretation. For instance, the student states that visitors 'most likely preferred to stay on cruise ships across all these years' with figures of around 0.7 million, whereas the graph actually shows that cruise ship visitors started lower (0.25 million) and island-staying visitors were higher in the early years. Furthermore, the descriptions of the trends are confused, mixing up the data lines (e.g., claiming 'this graph is overall higher than the other ones' without clear comparative analysis). While an overview is attempted, the inaccurate reporting of data points and trends prevents the response from fully meeting the higher band requirements. Task Achievement is therefore placed at band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is organized into four brief paragraphs, starting with an introduction and followed by body sentences attempting to detail the trends. However, the logical progression is weak and the overall arrangement is disjointed. Cohesive devices are used awkwardly or incorrectly, such as 'In a cursory glance' and 'Additionally the gradient displays', which impedes the flow of ideas. Furthermore, referencing is unclear because the student frequently refers to 'the other ones' or 'the other graph', making it difficult to follow which data series is being discussed. Paragraphing is present, but internal cohesion and logical sequencing remain faulty. This profile aligns with band 5.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for basic descriptive purposes but contains noticeable errors and awkward phrasing. Examples include 'sum of tourists', 'cursory glance', and spelling errors such as 'betwen' and 'miilion'. The student attempts less common vocabulary ('surge', 'gradient', 'significant hike'), but these are not always used with appropriate collocation or accuracy, such as describing a line graph as a 'gradient' or 'diagram'. Repetition of phrases like 'to eventually' also limits the lexical range. Because the errors cause some difficulty for the reader in understanding the precise data, a band score of 5.0 is appropriate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar is inconsistent. There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures, such as 'visitors that went to Caribbean island' (missing article) and 'with initially starting from around' (mixed prepositional and participial structure). Punctuation is also neglected in places, such as a missing space after a full stop ('2017.The sum gradient'). While the meaning can generally be parsed, frequent errors in syntax and word forms cause strain. This performance corresponds to a band score of 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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