Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-18

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 depicts the number of travellers visited a certain Caribbean island from 2010 to 2017.

Overall, there was the significant growth in the visitors, the number of vistors was staying on cruise ship were increasing, whereas the numbers for island was slightly increasing in start and then became stabled.

Firsty, in 2010 visitors staying on cruise was almost 0.25 million, while the number of visitors staying on island were 0.75 million, that's make a total of 1 million visitors. For the next 2 years till 2013, the numbers for visitors on cruise ships were levelled off at around 0.5 million, on the ohter hand, numbers for visitors on island were increased gradually and in 2013 reached at 1.5 million.

From 2013 to 2015, the visitors staying on island remained same at 1.5 millions. However, the visitors on cruise ships were increasing and reached at 1.25 millions in 2015 and for the next two years from 2015 to 2017, the numbers of visitors on ships further increasing and reached at 2 million, while the visitors staying on island decreased gradually in the next year till 2016. However in 2017, the numbers were stabled again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the overall rise in visitor numbers and distinguish the steady growth in cruise-ship visitors from the comparatively stable island-stay figures. Several key details are also reported accurately, including the 2010 starting figures and the island total of 1.5 million in 2013. However, the overview is incomplete: it does not mention that the total reached its highest point in 2017, or that cruise-ship visitors overtook island visitors by the end. Some data are also misreported. Cruise-ship numbers did not remain level at 0.5 million throughout 2011–2013, and the total rose from 2.75 million in 2015 to 3.5 million in 2017. Select the main turning points and compare the series more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by chronological detail, with the final paragraph covering later years. Time markers such as “Firsty,” “From 2013 to 2015,” and “in 2017” help readers follow the sequence. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. “For the next 2 years till 2013” does not clearly identify the period, and “However in 2017” is confusing because it follows a statement about the island figures decreasing in 2016, without clearly stating their 2017 recovery. The long final sentence also combines several trends, making comparisons harder to track. Use clearer year ranges and separate the cruise-ship and island trends when needed.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a graph, including “increasing,” “remained,” “gradually,” and “reached,” and the main subject remains understandable. There is some variety in how trends are described, but word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or repetitive. For example, “the number of travellers visited” is not a natural phrase, while “numbers … were levelled off” and “became stabled” are awkward. Spelling errors such as “vistors,” “Firsty,” and “ohter” also reduce accuracy. Aim for standard graph language such as “the number of visitors,” “levelled off,” and “stabilised,” and check spelling carefully. More precise terms for rises, falls, and comparisons would make the account clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including comparisons with “while” and contrast with “whereas” and “However.” Nevertheless, errors occur frequently and sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. Examples include “there was the significant growth,” “the number … were increasing,” and “the visitors staying on island remained same,” which show problems with articles, agreement, and sentence structure. The sentence beginning “For the next 2 years till 2013” also has an unclear time construction, while several clauses in the final sentence are joined without clear punctuation. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement and article use, and build shorter sentences around one trend at a time before adding subordinate clauses.

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