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 graph tracks the amount of tourists visiting a specific Caribnean island over a period of 7 years between 2010 and 2017. The graph also categorizes tourists into two types, one type staying on cruise ships and an other type staying on island.

Overall, what stands out in the graph is that the total number of tourists increased steadly until 2016, but after that there was a sharp growth. There were some fluctuations in the two types of visitors over the period in question.

In 2010, the visitors staying on island were the lowest, accounted for only 0.25 million. After that it showed little growth and reached 0.5 million and then it again dropped to its original number where it started. After 2012, it rose gradually and reached a top of 2 million visitors. The tourists staying on cruise ships remain constant in 2010 and 2011. There were only 0.75 million visitors. After that it rose gradually and climbed to 1.5 million and levelled off there for three years.

In 2015, it slightly declined to 1.2 million but in the very next year, it went back to 1.5 million visitors. The total number of visitors starting from 1 million in 2010 showed regular upward trend. Only in 2015 and 2016 it remained stable but then in 2016, it rose sharply and peaked at 3.5 million visitors.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the chart’s overall upward trend and distinguish between visitors staying on the island and on cruise ships. However, several key figures and trends are misreported, which limits how fully the task is addressed. For example, island visitors began at about 0.75 million, not 0.25 million, and reached around 1.5 million rather than 2 million. The cruise-ship figures also did not remain constant at 0.75 million in 2010–11; they were approximately 0.25 and 0.5 million. The overview says the total rose sharply after 2016, but the sharp rise occurred from 2016 to 2017; it was stable between 2015 and 2016. Check each series against the graph and select a few accurate comparisons to support the overview.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the visitor categories and total. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression within the detail is sometimes confusing because the two categories are discussed in an order that does not match their labels: the paragraph beginning “In 2010” describes island visitors, while the next sentence switches to cruise-ship visitors without a clear transition. The final paragraph then returns to cruise-ship figures before discussing the total. Some linking phrases, such as “After that” and “In the very next year,” are repetitive or leave the year being discussed unclear. Group the figures by series and use explicit year references to make comparisons easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing a line graph, including “increased,” “fluctuations,” “gradually,” “levelled off,” and “peaked.” These choices help communicate changes over time, and the meaning is generally clear. There are some spelling and word-choice inaccuracies, however: “Caribnean” is misspelled, “steadly” should be “steadily,” and “an other type” is not the natural expression. Phrases such as “amount of tourists” and “showed little growth” are also less precise for countable visitor figures. Aim for accurate, conventional chart language, such as “the number of tourists” and “the figure rose.” This would make the description more precise without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the overview clause “what stands out … is that” and time-linked sentences beginning “After that.” Most of the message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. For example, “the visitors … were the lowest, accounted for” has an incomplete or awkward clause structure; write “the figure for visitors … was lowest, at…” Also, “the tourists … remain constant” shifts tense, and “it rose … and levelled off” has an unclear pronoun reference. The sentence about the total being stable “in 2015 and 2016” but rising “in 2016” is internally inconsistent. Keep past tense consistent, make the subject of each clause explicit, and check that time references agree.

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.