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 given line chart illustrates the proportion of visitors in millions on a specific island named Carribean island between 2010 and 2017.

Overall, The number of tourists visiting a island increased from 2010 to 2017, especially visitors staying on cruise ships. By contrast, the proportion of visitors staying on Carribean island is the least percentage accommodated by the tourists.

Following this, the total amount of visitors on island surged from only 1 Million in 2010 to significantly 3.5 Million in the year 2017. In addition, the number of tourists on island, which are staying on cruise ships also tumbled from almost 0.8 Million in 2010 to approximately 2 Million in the year 2017. furthermore, the proportion of tourist staying on island also soared, but after some fluctuations. The 0.3 Million individuals visited Carribean island in the year 2010, which increased to 0.5 Million in the year 2013 after decline in the year 2012. Ultimately, it reaches up to 2 Million visitors in the year 2017.

In conclusion, The total number of visitors increased on Carribean island from its previous position.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the overall rise in total visitors and the strong growth in cruise-ship visitors, which are relevant main features. However, several key figures and comparisons are misreported, substantially limiting the accuracy of the summary. Cruise-ship visitors rose from about 0.25 million in 2010, not 0.8 million, while visitors staying on the island increased from about 0.75 million to 1.5 million—not from 0.3 million to 2 million. The claim that island-staying visitors were the smallest group is also incorrect: they outnumbered cruise-ship visitors until 2016. The overview is therefore only partly reliable, and the final conclusion repeats the general increase rather than adding a useful feature. Report the two categories separately and check each figure against the graph.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, a paragraph with figures, and a concluding sentence. This gives the reader a coherent overall route through the answer. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “By contrast,” and “In addition” help signal relationships, although some are used mechanically or do not accurately reflect the data. The main body also shifts between the total and the two visitor categories without consistently distinguishing them, making some references—such as “the number of tourists on island”—unclear. The conclusion largely repeats the overview. To improve progression, organise the body around the total trend and then compare the two accommodation groups, using clear labels and references throughout.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of trend vocabulary, including “increased,” “surged,” “tumbled,” “fluctuations,” and “soared,” and the topic is generally understandable. However, some choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing this graph. “Proportion” and “percentage” are inappropriate because the chart reports numbers of visitors in millions, while “tumbled” contradicts the overall rise in cruise-ship visitors. Phrases such as “the least percentage accommodated by the tourists” and “previous position” are also unclear. There are spelling and form issues, including “Carribean” and “tourist” where a plural is needed. Aim for precise, neutral terms such as “number,” “figure,” and “rose,” and use the chart’s category labels consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including a relative clause in “the number of tourists on island, which are staying on cruise ships.” Some sentence patterns communicate the broad trend, but errors in articles, agreement, tense, and punctuation recur. Examples include “a island,” “which are staying,” and “Ultimately, it reaches,” where the article, verb agreement, or tense needs correction. Capitalisation after full stops is inconsistent, as in “furthermore” and “The” in the middle of the response. These issues do not prevent the reader from following the general message, but they reduce accuracy and sometimes make relationships difficult to interpret. Practise checking articles and subject–verb agreement, and keep past-tense reporting consistent.

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