Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-25
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 data shows the number of tourists who visit a certain Caribbean island from 2010 and 2017 for vacation.
The total number of visitors visiting the island only kept increasing and was at its peak in 2017. Even though the Caribbean island had a large number of visitors, only some proportion of the people were staying on the island or staying on cruise ships. The tourists staying on island gradually seemed to be decreasing over the years and in contrast, visitors staying on cruise ships displayed a dramatic growth over the years.
The number of tourists visiting the island showed a steady growth from 2010 to 2017, reaching its peak at 3.5 million tourists in 2017 right after having a little above 2.5 million visitors in 2016. However, while the population of visitors during 2013, 2014, 2015 was 1.5 million, there was a decline in 2016 to a little bit above 1 million tourists and the visitors staying on the cruise displayed a significant growth from 2012, reaching a new high of 2 million visitors 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 covers the main features of the graph well, accurately reporting the upward trajectory of the total number of visitors and outlining the differing trends between those staying on cruise ships and those staying on the island. An overview is present in the second paragraph, capturing the main contrast between the two categories. However, some specific data points contain minor inaccuracies or confusing phrasings, such as stating that tourists staying on the island were 1.5 million 'during 2013, 2014, 2015' before noting a decline, which slightly misrepresents the mid-period fluctuations shown in the data. Overall, the response addresses the prompt effectively, earning a band 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The text is arranged logically with an introduction, an overview paragraph, and a concluding body paragraph that elaborates on specific data figures. Cohesive devices are used to signal contrast and progression, such as 'Even though', 'In contrast', and 'However'. Paragraphing is handled reasonably well to separate general trends from specific data, although the transition between paragraphs could be smoother. Referencing is mostly clear, though some sentences become slightly dense and difficult to follow due to overlapping data references. Overall, cohesion is generally appropriate for a band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully using terms such as 'proportion', 'gradually', 'dramatic growth', and 'significant growth'. There are some repetitive phrasing patterns, such as the frequent use of 'over the years' and 'visiting the island'. Minor word choice inaccuracies appear, such as 'population of visitors' instead of 'number of visitors'. Nevertheless, the vocabulary used is sufficient to convey the main trends clearly without impeding communication, fitting the descriptor for band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses introduced by 'Even though', 'while', and 'after having'. There are some grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'the tourists staying on island' (missing article) and 'visitors staying on the cruise' (singular instead of plural). Punctuation and verb tense consistency are mostly managed well, allowing the reader to follow the descriptions of past trends. The frequency and nature of these errors correspond to a band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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