Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-02
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 rendered line graph illustrates the number of visitors visiting a Caribbean island from 2010 to 2017.
Overall, it is evident that total visitors showed upward trend, whilst the opposite is true.
Turning to details, in 2010, visitor staying on cruise ships accounted for 0.2 millions, followed by visitor staying on island and total visitor, 0.7 and 1 millions, respectively. Cruise ship visitor and total visitor experienced upward trend 0.5 and 1.3 millions orderly, while who was stay on island stabled.
Probing further, from 2012 to 2015, both visitor staying on land and total surged gradually from 1.3 to 1.5 millions and 1.5 to 2.4 millions, respectively. whereas, cruise ships visitor fell down by 0.2 million in 2012, yet it rose sharply from 0.3 to 1.05 throughout the period. In contrast, total visitor reached the peak at 3.5 millions and visitor staying at island fluctuated and stood at 1.5 millions throughout the time.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response addresses the task only partially. While you attempted to cover the main categories (visitors on cruise ships, those staying on the island, and the total), your overview is incomplete and confusing, stating 'total visitors showed upward trend, whilst the opposite is true' without clearly explaining what the contrast refers to. Furthermore, several data points contain inaccurate figures that do not match the graph (for example, stating that in 2010 visitor staying on cruise ships accounted for 0.2 millions and island visitors were 0.7 millions). Ideas are limited and under-developed, and some descriptions of trends, such as 'while who was stay on island stabled', lack clarity and precise detail. To reach a higher level, you need to provide a clearer, more accurate overview of the main trends at the beginning, report the data with greater precision, and ensure all parts of the visual information are correctly interpreted and compared.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
There is some organisation in your response, with paragraph breaks used to divide the introduction, overview, and body details, and transition phrases like 'Turning to details' and 'Probing further'. However, there is no clear overall progression due to confusing sequencing and referencing issues. For instance, the transition between sentences is sometimes abrupt, and pronouns or cohesive devices are used inaccurately, making the logical flow difficult to follow ('whilst the opposite is true' in the overview lacks a clear referent). To improve Coherence and Cohesion, you should ensure that your sentences link together logically with appropriate cohesive devices, and that each paragraph flows naturally into the next with a clear thematic focus rather than jumping abruptly between years and categories.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
Your vocabulary range is limited but minimally adequate for the task. You attempt some less common terms and reporting verbs, such as 'experienced upward trend', 'surged gradually', and 'fluctuated', but there are noticeable errors in word choice, word form, and collocation that cause difficulty for the reader. Examples include 'visitor staying on island' (which should be plural or have correct articles), 'stabled' instead of 'remained stable', and awkward phrasing like 'who was stay on island'. Additionally, spelling and numerical expressions need careful checking. To move up to a higher band, you need to use a wider and more precise range of vocabulary with correct collocations and accurate word forms, avoiding awkward literal translations or incorrect grammatical derivations of words.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You demonstrate a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple or slightly faulty complex patterns. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the response, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('visitor staying ... accounted', 'visitor staying on land and total surged'), missing articles ('visitor staying on cruise ships', 'total visitor'), and incorrect verb forms ('who was stay on island'). These frequent errors can cause difficulty and confusion for the reader. To achieve a higher band, you must increase your range of complex sentence structures and improve your grammatical accuracy, paying close attention to verb tenses, plurals, prepositions, and article usage so that the majority of your sentences are error-free.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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