Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 touring a specific caribbean island between 2010 and 2017.

Overall, the total numbers of tourists gradually increased throughout the time period. Although visitors on cruise ships fluctuated in early years, they rose steadily in the coming years. In contrast, visitors chose island fluctuated in ending years, while remained unchange most of the time.

In 2010, the total count of visitors was one million, which increased gradually in 2011 and 2012, and rose to around 1.25 million and 1.5 million respectively. There was rapid increase of 1 million until 2014, rasing the figure to 2.5 million. A moderate addition in the number of total visitors soared value to 2.7 million approximately. After experiencing a sligh decrease in the next year, figure rose sharply from 2.6 million to 3.5 million by end of 2018.

A total of 0.7 million tourist staying on cruise ships, and around 0.3 milion peoples stayed on island in 2010. By 2011, cruise ships numbers remained unchange, while island visitor numbers moderately rose to 0.5 million. However, both entities follwed opposite pattern in 2012, decreasing value for island visitors again to 0.3 million and increasing the numbers of visitors chose cruise ships to 1.3 million. Until 2015, cruise ships visitors steadily icreased to around 1.2 million, while island chosers remained unchange. By the end of 2017, cruise ship visitors rose to 2 million, and island staying tourists soared to 1.5 million again after falling to 1.3 million in 2016.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You provide an overview of the overall rise and distinguish the cruise-ship trend from the island-stay trend, which addresses the main features. However, several figures and comparisons are misreported, limiting the accuracy of the account. For example, in 2010 cruise-ship visitors were about 0.25 million and island visitors 0.75 million, not 0.7 million and 0.3 million. You also reverse the 2012 pattern: island visitors rose to about 1.25 million while cruise visitors fell to 0.25 million. The final year is 2017, not 2018, and the total did not fall before its final rise. Select a few key values and check them against the graph so the overview and supporting details are consistently grounded in the data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by paragraphs describing the total and the two visitor categories. Time markers such as “In 2010,” “By 2011,” and “By the end of 2017” help readers follow the chronology. However, some connections are unclear or misleading, particularly “both entities followed opposite pattern in 2012,” which is paired with inaccurate descriptions of both series. The account also shifts between total figures and category figures without always making the comparison easy to track. Use clearer topic sentences to separate the total trend from the accommodation categories, and link each comparison directly to the relevant year and series. This would make the progression more controlled and reduce the need for readers to infer what each figure refers to.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of trend vocabulary, including “gradually increased,” “fluctuated,” “rose steadily,” and “soared,” and the topic is generally understandable. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “visitors chose island,” “moderate addition,” and “island chosers.” Spelling errors, including “rasing,” “sligh,” “milion,” and “follwed,” also reduce precision. Some verbs overstate the movement: “soared” is not always suitable for a modest change. Aim for a smaller set of accurate, natural expressions such as “visitors staying on the island,” “the total rose,” and “remained stable.” Check spelling and use the graph’s category labels consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use both simple and more complex forms, including a contrast clause beginning “Although” and a sentence with “which increased.” However, attempts at longer structures often contain grammatical errors that make relationships difficult to follow. For example, “while remained unchange most of the time” lacks a clear subject and has an incorrect verb form; “A total of 0.7 million tourist staying…” is a sentence fragment; and “After experiencing a sligh decrease in the next year, figure rose…” has an unclear subject and missing article. There are also errors in number and tense, as in “numbers remained unchange.” Build sentences around a clear subject and finite verb, and check articles, plurals, and verb forms. Shorter, accurate comparisons would improve control while retaining some complex structures.

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.