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 numbers of visitors visiting a particular Caribbean island during 2010 to 2017. The units are calibrated in millions of visitors.

Overall, total number of tourists shows gradual up but after 2016 it went very high, whereas visitors staying on cruise ships are very less in compare of visitors staying on island but after 2015 it surpass.

In year 2010, visitors staying on cruise ships are very less compare to other two different category also, after 2011 it declines the visitors to stay on cruise ship but after 2012 it never falls back also intersect after 2015 and ends up with second highest with 2 millions of visitors.

While, visitors staying on island more than 0.5 millions of visitors in 2010 in span of one year it remains same but after 2011 shows moderate incline till 2013, after 2015 it ends up in as lowest 1.5 millions of visitors in 2017. The total visitors starts with one millions of visitors in 2010 where this does not shows any decline after 2016 it skyrockets to 3.5 millions of visitors in 2017.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s subject and include an overview of the overall rise, the cruise-ship increase, and the island-stay figures. Several key details are also accurate: the total reaches 3.5 million in 2017, while cruise-ship visitors rise to 2 million. However, the overview is imprecise: the total does not rise sharply only after 2016; it increases throughout the period, with a plateau from 2015 to 2016. The claim that cruise visitors “intersect after 2015” is unclear, and the island figure is described as ending at its “lowest” despite being 1.5 million, above its starting level. Select the main comparisons more clearly and report the stages accurately to make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable sequence: an introduction, an overview, and descriptions of the three data series. This gives the reader a basic framework, and words such as “Overall,” “While,” and “after” help signal relationships. However, the progression within the body is not consistently clear. The cruise-ship paragraph combines an early decline, later growth, an unclear intersection, and a final ranking in one long sentence. The island paragraph also shifts between periods without clearly distinguishing its plateau and later fluctuation. Some linking phrases are repetitive or awkward, and “While” does not clearly connect the two trends. Grouping related comparisons and using clearer time markers would improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “visitors,” “millions,” “declines,” “moderate incline,” and “skyrockets,” so the reader can generally understand the trends you intend to describe. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “very less,” “in compare of,” and “intersect” where the relationship between the lines is not made clear. “Numbers of visitors visiting” is also repetitive, while “ends up in as lowest” is not a natural way to describe a figure. Aim for precise trend language and standard collocations, for example, “the number of visitors,” “compared with,” and “remained stable.” This would make the report clearer and more appropriately formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses linked with “whereas,” “but,” and “while.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some passages difficult to follow. Examples include “total number of tourists shows gradual up,” “after 2011 it declines the visitors,” and “this does not shows any decline,” which show problems with articles, verb forms, and sentence construction. There are also inconsistent tense choices and missing or incorrect grammatical links between clauses. Use past simple consistently for the historical data, check subject–verb agreement, and divide long sentences into shorter units. More accurate basic structures would improve clarity before adding complexity.

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