Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-24
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 number of travelers visitng specific Caribbean island some are staying on cruise ships and some are on island among 2010 and 2017, the units are being measured in millions of visitors.
Overall, all three categories increased from 2010 to 2017. In 2010 more poeple stayed more on island than ships. Whereas, cruise ships visitors had a noticible dip in 2012, while island visitors had a slight dip in 2016. Total visitors never dropped; they only went up.
The total number of visitors increased signifcantly. It went from 1.0 million in 2010 to 3.5 million in 2017. The people who prefer staying on island they stared at 0.75 million. Rose steadily to 1.5 million in 2015.then dropped slightly 1.25 million in 2016, but still finished at 1.5 mllion in 2017.
The cruise ships visitors starts with the lowest at 0.25 million in 2010 after seeing some rise in 2011, then dropped to 0.25 million in 2012. It climbed sharply to 2.0 million in 2017. In contrast to island visitors, cruise ship number sharply increased and overtook the island staying people in 2017.
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 key comparisons from the graph. The overview clearly highlights that all categories increased over the period and notes the main trajectory of total visitors and individual categories. Data points are accurately cited, such as the total visitors going from 1.0 million in 2010 to 3.5 million in 2017, and the crossing point where cruise ship visitors overtook island stayers in 2017. Although there are some minor phrasing awkwardnesses in the introduction, the key information is well covered and meets the requirements for a Band 6.5 to 7.0, ultimately fitting a Band 6.5 due to slight under-development in the initial overview summary.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by an overview, and then two body paragraphs detailing specific data groups. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'Whereas', and 'In contrast to island visitors'. However, paragraphing and sentence transitions can feel somewhat mechanical and disjointed in places, such as the abrupt transition in the third paragraph ('The total number of visitors increased signifcantly...'). Referencing is generally clear, but the overall progression lacks a completely smooth flow between sentences. This places the response comfortably in the Band 6 range.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms related to data reporting such as 'increased', 'dip', 'rose steadily', 'dropped slightly', and 'climbed sharply'. However, there are notable spelling errors ('visitng', 'poeple', 'noticible', 'signifcantly', 'mllion') and awkward word choices ('stared at' instead of 'started at'). While the student attempts less common vocabulary, the persistent spelling and lexical slips restrict the score to a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response includes a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as introductory dependent clauses ('Whereas, cruise ships visitors had a noticible dip...'). There are, however, several grammatical errors, including run-on sentences and punctuation issues in the opening paragraph ('...Caribbean island some are staying on cruise ships and some are on island among 2010 and 2017, the units are...'), preposition errors ('on island' instead of 'on the island'), and subject-verb agreement slips. These errors do not impede overall communication, but they occur with enough frequency to prevent the score from reaching a Band 6.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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