Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-17
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 chart illustrates the number of people, measured in millions, who visited Carbbean island between 2010 and 2017.
Overall, total tourists went to Caribbean island significantly increased over the period, whereas the visitors who stayed on island fluctuated over the time and decreased as compared to visitors who stayed on cruise ships.
The total number of people who went to Caribbean island increased dramtically with one million in 2010 to three and a half million people in 2017. Between 2015 and 2016 the total tourists remained the same. The visitors who stayed on cruise ships experienced a noticeable increase over the period.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
You identify the chart’s subject and give a relevant overall trend: total visitor numbers rose, while the island-stay figure changed less and cruise-ship visitors increased. You also accurately report the total rising from 1 million to 3.5 million and its stability from 2015 to 2016. However, the response addresses the task only partially: it omits several key comparisons, including the island-stay figures and the cruise-ship rise from about 0.25 million to 2 million. The claim that island visitors “decreased as compared to” cruise-ship visitors is unclear and does not describe the overall pattern accurately. The response is also 47 words below the required minimum, leaving the summary underdeveloped. Add selected figures and explain how the two visitor groups contributed to the total rise.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph with supporting details. This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and phrases such as “Overall” and “Between 2015 and 2016” help signal the focus. However, the progression is limited because the final paragraph gives only a few details and does not systematically compare the two visitor categories. The overview’s contrast between island and cruise-ship visitors is also difficult to follow, particularly “decreased as compared to.” Develop a clearer sequence—for example, first describe the total trend, then compare the two categories—and use references such as “the former” or “this figure” only when their meaning is unmistakable.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant task vocabulary, including “line chart,” “measured in millions,” “fluctuated,” and “remained the same,” so the main topic is generally clear. There is some variation in how you describe change, with “increased significantly” and “experienced a noticeable increase.” However, the range is limited, and several choices or forms are inaccurate or awkward: “Carbbean” is misspelled, “total tourists went to Caribbean island” is unnatural, and “increased dramtically with one million” does not express the change idiomatically. These errors make parts of the report less precise. Build a wider set of accurate trend phrases and check spelling and collocations, especially when describing starting and ending values.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt both simple sentences and more complex structures, including the contrast introduced by “whereas” and the time clause “Between 2015 and 2016.” The main message is usually understandable, but grammatical control is uneven. For example, “total tourists went to Caribbean island significantly increased” combines incompatible verb structures; use “the total number of tourists … increased.” Articles are also missing in “to Caribbean island” and “stayed on island,” and “visitors … fluctuated … and decreased” has an unclear subject and agreement of meaning. The sentence about the increase from one million also needs a clearer construction, such as “rose from one million to three and a half million.” Practise accurate noun phrases, articles, and comparisons.
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