Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The given chart displays the number of visitors from 2010 to 2017 who visiting a specific Caribbean island. Overall, the amount of tourists stayed on island is comparatively more than who stayed on cruise ships. Although, the total number of visitors increases gradually between 2010 and 2017.

To start from, around half of million people prefered more to stay on island rather than ships in 2010. However, the amount of tourists remain same on island in 2011 nevertheless increase on ships by 0.2 million. Later on 2012, rate of stay on ships decreased to its previous point while on island increased much.

By contrast, people started to stay on ships rapidly and the ratio increased in the range of 2013 and 2017 numerically 0.5 million to 2 millions of visitors. While amount of tourists remained at 1.5 millions point between 2013 and 2015 followed by dip of 0.3 million in 2016 and came back at same position in 2017. In result, the number of people which stayed on both raised to 3.5 millions from 1 million but held on similar point during 2015 and 2016.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall rise in total visitors and compare the two accommodation groups, which addresses the central features of the graph. The account of cruise-ship visitors rising from 0.5 million in 2013 to 2 million in 2017 is accurate, as is the island figure staying around 1.5 million for much of the later period. However, the overview says island stays were consistently higher, which is not true in 2017, when cruise-ship visitors exceeded them. Some details are also imprecise: the island figure falls from 1.5 to 1.25 million in 2016, not by 0.3 million, and the total is level at 2.75 million in 2015–16 before rising. A more precise overview and clearer reporting of these comparisons would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction and overview are followed by chronological details, with a later paragraph focusing on the stronger cruise-ship growth. This gives the reader a generally coherent route through the data. However, some linking is mechanical or awkward, as in “To start from,” “However,” and “By contrast,” where the relationships between points are not always clear. The final sentence combines the total trend with the plateau in 2015–16, making the sequence slightly confusing. Use clearer topic sentences and connect each comparison directly to its relevant years; for example, group the early figures together, then describe the later divergence between the two visitor types and the total.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing trends, including “increases gradually,” “decreased,” “remained,” “dip,” and “raised.” This gives you a workable range for the task, and the main meaning is usually understandable. However, several choices or collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “the amount of tourists,” “prefered more,” “rate of stay,” and “held on similar point.” These reduce precision, particularly when describing numerical changes. There are also spelling and form issues, including “prefered” and “millions point.” Aim for standard graph language and accurate units: refer to the “number of visitors,” say a figure “rose” or “fell,” and describe values as being “at 1.5 million.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer sentences with contrast and time clauses, so there is some structural variety. The main trends can generally be followed, but errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction occur across the response. For example, “who visiting” needs a finite verb (“who visited”), and “the amount of tourists remain same” has problems with both agreement and article use. The opening overview also uses an incomplete contrast construction: “Although, the total number…” should be joined to a main clause or rewritten as a separate sentence. Work on producing accurate basic clauses first, then add complex links; check subject–verb agreement and use past tense consistently for the historical data.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.