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 graph here shows the number of tourists visiting the caribbean island between 2010 and 2017.

The graph has vertical line called y axis showing the number of visitors in millions and horizontal line called x axis showing the number of years from 2010 to 2017. There are different type of lines showing the visitors category of residing. The dotted line shows that the tourists were staying on cruise ships and the line with arrow shows that visitors were staying on island only. The straight line shows the total number of visitors during the years. By analysing the graph it reflects clearly that there is an increase of 2.5 million in the number of tourists from the year 2010 to 2017. Also an increase is sharp from 2010 to 2012 and from 2016 to 2017. The graph also dipicts clearly that earlier more people likes to be on island only but it has been changed and now more tourists like to be on cruise ships rather then being on island. However this difference is of half a million only compared to earlier which is around more then a million.

Thus, the graph shows a wonderful increase in the number of tourists and also their choice of staying has changed through years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the overall rise in tourist numbers and note the changing preference from island stays to cruise ships, so the response includes relevant main features. However, the overview is not fully accurate: the total increases from about 1 million in 2010 to 3.5 million in 2017, a rise of 2.5 million, but the sharpest growth is not clearly described as occurring in 2010–2012; the total rises more steadily, with a particularly large increase from 2016 to 2017. The comparison of accommodation types is also imprecise: cruise-ship visitors exceed island visitors only in 2017, by about 0.5 million. Develop the summary with key figures and clearer comparisons, rather than describing the axes and line styles at length.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a generally understandable sequence: it introduces the graph, describes its components, then gives an overview and a concluding sentence. Linking expressions such as “Also,” “However,” and “Thus” help show relationships between ideas. However, the long middle paragraph combines chart explanation, trends, and comparisons, so the main findings are not easy to locate. The conclusion largely repeats the opening overview instead of adding a useful summary. Organise the report into a brief introduction, a clear overview, and one or two paragraphs comparing the figures over time. Use references such as “the total” or “cruise-ship visitors” consistently so that comparisons remain clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “tourists,” “visitors,” “millions,” “cruise ships,” and “increase,” and the reader can understand the general message. There are also attempts at more descriptive language, such as “sharp” and “choice of staying.” However, some wording is inaccurate or unnatural, including “visitors category of residing,” “the line with arrow,” and “a wonderful increase.” Spelling errors such as “dipicts” and “caribbean” also reduce accuracy. Choose precise trend language and standard chart-reporting collocations; for example, describe visitor numbers as “rose steadily” or “increased sharply,” and refer to “visitors staying on the island” rather than “island only.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer sentences, including a sentence beginning “By analysing the graph,” and most of the intended meaning remains understandable. However, some grammatical errors occur in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction. For example, “more people likes” should be “more people liked,” while “the number of tourists … there is an increase” needs a clearer subject and verb structure. The sentence describing the lines is also awkwardly constructed, and spacing and punctuation are inconsistent. Aim for controlled comparisons using accurate past-tense forms, such as “More visitors stayed on the island in the early years, but cruise-ship numbers overtook them in 2017.”

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