Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-10
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 line graphs illustrate the number of visitors in Caribbean Island from 2010 to 2017. Units are measured in Millions
Overall, Visitors Staying on cruise ships rose steadily over te years-period but fluctuated in visitors staying on Island. Despite that the total number of tourists increased significantly.
Tourists staying on the cruise ships were 0.5 million in 2015, which fell to approximately 0.3 million in 2012. After that it grows gradually and cross the visitors staying on the Island between 2015 and 2016, following this reached the highest figure of 2 million in 2017.
From 2010 to 2010 tourists staying on the Island remained same. While a gradual increase encountered between 2011 and 2013. After that it remained plateau until 2015 which fell to around 1.25 million in 2016 and end at 1.5 million in 2017. However, total number of tourists rise steadily without any fluctuation and decline over the seven years' time period.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You provide an overview that identifies the overall rise in total visitors and the contrasting patterns for cruise-ship and island visitors. Several relevant details are included, such as the cruise-ship figure reaching 2 million in 2017 and island visitors ending at about 1.5 million. However, some key information is inaccurate or unclear: cruise-ship visitors were about 0.5 million in 2011, not 2015, and the total did not rise without fluctuation, as it levelled off at approximately 2.75 million in 2015 and 2016. The statement that the total “decline[d]” also contradicts the graph. Correcting these points and reporting the main stages more precisely would make the summary more complete and reliable.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure, with an overview followed by paragraphs describing the two visitor categories and the total. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression is weakened by unclear or inaccurate links between details. For example, “After that” does not clearly identify which year or trend it refers to, and the final sentence combines a steady rise with a decline, making the relationship between the ideas confusing. Some transitions, including “Despite that” and “However,” are not used to express the intended contrast clearly. Organise the body around the main series, use year references to anchor changes, and ensure each linking phrase accurately reflects the relationship between sentences.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant task vocabulary, including “fluctuated,” “gradual increase,” “plateau,” and “highest figure,” which helps describe trends. However, the range and control are uneven, and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward. “The line graphs” suggests more than one graph, while the task presents one graph; “cross the visitors” is not a natural way to describe the lines meeting; and “an increase encountered” is an unsuitable collocation. There are also spelling and form slips such as “te years-period.” Aim for precise trend language and check that verbs naturally fit the data, for example, “the figure rose,” “remained stable,” or “overtook.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer sentences, including clauses beginning with “which” and “while.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction occur frequently enough to make some details difficult to follow. Examples include “it grows gradually and cross,” where the verbs do not match the past-time reporting, and “total number of tourists rise,” which has incorrect agreement and tense. “From 2010 to 2010” also creates a confusing time reference. Some sentence fragments, such as “While a gradual increase encountered between 2011 and 2013,” lack a clear grammatical structure. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and build complete sentences around each trend.
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