Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-12

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 proportion of visitors ( in millions), who came to see caribbean iland from 2010 to 2017.

overall, the total number of tourists whose visiting caribbean iland increased, with most of the people stayed on the cruise ships instrad of the iland.

In 2010, people whose visit to the illand mostly stayed on the iland with about 0.7 million which remain same in 2011, then in 2013 it goes up to 1.5 million figure and remained plauteud to 2015. In 2016 a sudden drop and then it goes back to its normal in 2017.

The amount of visitors who was staying on cruise ships or low at the at the start of the decade. In 2011, it surge to 0.5 miilion and it went down again in 2012. From 2012 the proportion of people living on cruise ships went up and in 2016 it cross the people who was living on iland and remain it the highest wit 2 million. 3.5 miilion total visitors came

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the overall rise in total visitors and describe the contrasting patterns for island and cruise-ship stays, so the response includes relevant features of the graph. However, the overview is inaccurate: cruise-ship visitors did not outnumber island visitors for most of the period; island stays were higher until 2016. Some details are also unclear or misplaced. For example, island visitors reached about 1.5 million in 2013, not after that year, and the final figure of 3.5 million is mentioned without clearly identifying it as the total. To strengthen the report, give a precise overview of the main trends and compare the two categories at key points, including their crossover in 2016.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable sequence: an introduction, an overview, and descriptions of the two visitor categories. This gives the reader some structure, and time markers such as “In 2010” and “From 2012” help indicate chronology. However, progression is weakened by unclear references and awkward links. In “it cross the people who was living on iland,” the reader must infer that cruise-ship visitors overtook island visitors. The final sentence, “3.5 million total visitors came,” feels detached from the preceding comparison. Grouping the island figures into one paragraph and cruise-ship figures into another, then ending with a clear comparison of the totals, would make the organisation easier to follow. Use linking phrases selectively and ensure each pronoun has a clear reference.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “total number,” “visitors,” “stayed,” and “went up,” and you attempt more varied expressions such as “surge” and “sudden drop.” However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes makes the meaning difficult to follow. “Proportion” is not suitable when describing the number of visitors, while “living on cruise ships” does not naturally describe tourists’ accommodation. Spelling errors such as “caribbean,” “iland,” “instrad,” and “miilion” are also noticeable. Aim for precise graph language and check spelling carefully; terms such as “number,” “accommodation,” “rose,” and “remained stable” would suit this report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more extended sentences, including clauses linked with “with,” “then,” and “who,” but control is inconsistent. Errors in verb forms and agreement occur in phrases such as “whose visiting,” “people who was staying,” and “it cross.” Sentence boundaries and punctuation are also unreliable: the opening overview begins with lowercase “overall,” and the final figure is presented as a fragment rather than a complete sentence. These problems sometimes make relationships between figures and trends unclear. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and subject–verb agreement, and build sentences around a clear subject and verb. For example, “The number of cruise-ship visitors rose to two million in 2017” is clearer and grammatically controlled.

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