Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-11

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 illustrates the number of visitors visiting across Caribbean island over the period from 2010 to 2017.

Overall, the most striking feature is that the number of visitors staying on island edged up as the year changes. Meanwhile, the number of visitors who had preferred to stay on cruise ships recording the lowest figure by the end of the period.

Visitors staying on cruise ships stood at nearly 0.3 million in 2010 initially, before rising steadily to 0.5 million in 2011. By comparison, visitors on island followed a constant tranjectory, moving from 0.7 million to 0.8 million.

In contrast, tourist on cruise ships experienced a different trend, decreasing to 0.2 million in 2012. Notably, the number of tourists staying on island gradually increases upto 1.5 million over these 8 years. Whilst, the other catagory experienced a stable increase upto 2 million in 2017 within a narrow range. However, the total number of tourists were increased from 1 million to almost 3.5 million over these period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the overall rise in total visitors and describe changes in both accommodation groups, so the response is relevant and includes an overview. However, the overview misstates a key comparison: visitors staying on cruise ships did not finish at the lowest figure; they rose to 2 million in 2017, exceeding the 1.5 million staying on the island. The claim that island visitors “edged up” also understates their rise from about 0.75 to 1.5 million. Some details are accurate, including the cruise-ship dip in 2012 and the total reaching about 3.5 million. To make the report more complete and precise, compare the two groups at the end and describe the total’s overall growth clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and paragraphs describing the figures. Time markers such as “in 2010,” “in 2012” and “in 2017” help readers follow the period. However, progression is weakened by unclear or contradictory links. For example, the overview says cruise-ship visitors recorded the lowest figure at the end, while the final paragraph says this category reached 2 million. “In contrast” does not clearly signal the relationship between the trends, and “Whilst” begins a fragment-like transition before another point. Grouping the two categories consistently and then comparing their endpoints would make the organisation clearer; use linking expressions only when their logical relationship is precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “stood at,” “rising steadily,” “decreasing” and “stable increase,” and the reader can generally understand the trends you intend to describe. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “the most striking feature.” Some choices are inaccurate or unnatural, however: “visitors visiting across Caribbean island,” “constant tranjectory,” and “within a narrow range” do not express the data clearly. Spelling errors in “tranjectory” and “catagory,” along with the informal “upto,” reduce precision. Choose standard trend language and check spelling; also avoid repeating “visitors” where a more concise reference is possible.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex forms, including a time clause with “before” and a contrast clause beginning “Meanwhile.” Meaning is usually recoverable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. For example, “the number of visitors who had preferred to stay on cruise ships recording” lacks a finite verb, while “the total number of tourists were increased” has incorrect agreement and verb form. “As the year changes” does not fit the past time period, and “over these period” has a number mismatch. The sentence beginning “Whilst” is also not properly connected to a main clause. Use past simple consistently for the historical data, check subject–verb agreement, and ensure each sentence has a complete main clause.

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