Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-01

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)

This graph shows the rapid growth of tourism on caribbean island in the year between [redacted phone]. As we can see, between the year [redacted phone] the number was increased slowly but after 2012 the number goes higher and cross the number of 3.5 millions of the visitors on the island every year but in between the year 2015-16 the number was balanced after that the graph goes higher. But if we talk about the visitorvstaying on cruise ships there is was a rise from [redacted phone] of half millions of the population were staying on the cruise ships but after 2011 the scale goes down again in the year of 2012 and suddenly form between [redacted phone] there was a rapid growth which havn't decrease till the year of 2017 the exact number was 0.3 millions to 2 millions which i think it is a good number and on the other hand the scale of the visitors who were staying on the island was increased rapidly from the year [redacted phone] till the year 2015. the exact number was from 0.7 millions to 1.5 millions between [redacted phone] there was no difference but after 2011 the scale goes high as we can se but we compare both of these analyses the visiters who were staying on the island were more then the people who were staying of the cruise ships but in between 2015-16 the people who were staying on the island over thakes the other scale after 2016

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially. While you correctly identify some main trends and attempt to compare the two categories of tourists, the overview is unclear and features are under-developed. For instance, you mention that total tourism grew and peaked at 3.5 million, and you touch upon the differences between cruise ship visitors and those staying on the island. However, the data points reported contain inaccuracies and lack precision, such as stating the exact number for cruise ship tourists went from 0.3 millions to 2 millions, which does not accurately reflect the starting point in the graph. Additionally, the lack of paragraphing makes it difficult to follow the selection of features. To reach a higher level, you need to present a clear overall trend in an introduction, select and highlight the most salient features without mixing up data points, and ensure that all comparisons are fully supported by accurate readings from the visual data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

Information and ideas are not arranged coherently in this response. The text is written as one single, continuous block without any paragraph breaks, which creates a wall of text that is very difficult for the reader to navigate. Furthermore, the progression of ideas lacks clear logical organization. You jump between total visitor numbers and specific categories (cruise ship vs. island stay) and back again without clear signposting or logical grouping. Cohesive devices are either missing or used in a repetitive and run-on manner, heavily relying on conjunctions like 'and', 'but', and conversational phrases like 'As we can see' or 'if we talk about'. To improve in this area, you must organize your response into distinct paragraphs (e.g., an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the specific data) and use a wider variety of cohesive devices to link your sentences and ideas smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey basic concepts about the chart, such as 'growth', 'scale goes down', and 'rapid growth'. However, there is a reliance on basic and repetitive phrasing, and noticeable errors in word choice and spelling cause some difficulty for the reader. For example, you use informal or imprecise expressions like 'the number goes higher', 'balanced', and 'over thakes' (overtakes), alongside spelling and phrasing errors such as 'visitorvstaying' and 'havn't decrease'. To achieve a higher score, you should expand your range of vocabulary by incorporating precise academic terms related to data trends, such as 'fluctuate', 'surge', 'plateau', or 'gradual increase', and ensure correct word forms and accurate spelling throughout.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You demonstrate a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on long, run-on sentences connected by coordinating conjunctions like 'and' and 'but'. Attempts at complex sentences often become convoluted or grammatically faulty, such as in the sentence starting with '...but if we talk about the visitorvstaying on cruise ships there is was a rise...'. There are frequent errors in grammar, including subject-verb agreement ('the number was increased', 'there was a rise... were staying'), missing or incorrect articles, and punctuation errors, notably the complete absence of full stops to separate independent clauses. These frequent errors can cause difficulty for the reader. To improve, you need to use a better mix of simple and complex structures, control your verb tenses when describing past data, and use punctuation correctly to break your ideas into distinct, grammatically accurate sentences.

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