Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-09
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 given line graph illustrates the number of visitors visiting a particular Caribbean island from 2010 to 2017.
Overall, it can be cearly be seen that visitors staying on cruise ships, visitors staying on Island and total throughout the period. However, total visitors were the highest while visitors staying on island was the least common here.
In 2010, total visitors stood at 1 million before reaching 2 million in 2013. After that it increased sharply and reached a peak of 1.3 million in 2017. Following that, visitors staying on island was at almost 1 million in 2010.After that it remained stable in 2011 before reaching to 1.5 million in 2015. Then there was a slight decline in 2016 before increasing in 2017 to 1.5 million.
In contrast, visitors staying on cruise ships fluctuated until 2013 at 15 million. Then it increased dramatically before reaching a peak of 2 million in 2017.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response identifies the period and the three series, and it reports some relevant movements, including the island figure rising to about 1.5 million and cruise-ship visitors reaching 2 million by 2017. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: saying island visitors were “the least common” does not reflect the overall comparison, since cruise-ship numbers were lower in several early years, while the total was consistently the highest. The most serious problem is the total figure for 2017, given as 1.3 million rather than approximately 3.5 million. The cruise-ship figure “15 million” in 2013 is also incorrect; it was about 0.5 million. Select the main trends accurately and give a clear overview before describing details.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
There is a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, an attempted overview, and two detail sections. The sequence from 2010 to 2017 is generally understandable, and “In contrast” signals a shift to the cruise-ship series. However, progression is weakened by the overview’s incomplete sentence—“visitors staying on cruise ships, visitors staying on Island and total throughout the period”—which does not state a clear comparison. Linking phrases such as “After that” and “Then” are repeated, and “Following that” makes the sequence harder to follow because it is unclear which series it refers to. Organise the body by series or by shared time periods, and use precise references and a wider range of transitions to make relationships between figures clear.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The response uses some task-relevant vocabulary, including “stood at,” “remained stable,” “slight decline,” and “increased dramatically,” which helps describe trends. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or repetitive. “Visitors visiting” repeats the same idea, while “reaching a peak of 1.3 million” mislabels the total and “15 million” is an unsuitable figure rather than a vocabulary choice. “The least common” is also imprecise for comparing visitor categories. Spelling errors such as “cearly” and inconsistent capitalisation in “Island” reduce control. Aim for precise terms such as “total visitor numbers,” “rose to,” and “accounted for,” and check spelling and collocations carefully.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response includes simple sentences and some attempts at more complex structures, such as “before reaching” and “before increasing,” but control is inconsistent. The overview contains a sentence fragment: “Overall, it can be cearly be seen that visitors staying on cruise ships, visitors staying on Island and total throughout the period.” The repeated “be” also disrupts the structure. There are further problems with sentence boundaries and punctuation, for example “in 2010.After that,” and extra spacing in “reaching 2 million.” Some constructions are awkward, including “before reaching to 1.5 million.” These errors sometimes make relationships unclear, although the general meaning can often be recovered. Practise complete overview sentences and use accurate clause structures with consistent punctuation.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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