Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-19

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 4.0)

The graph line shows the number of tourists visiting a caribbean island between 2010 and 2017, including the visitors staying on cruise ships and some visitors staying on island. Overall the total number of tourists visiting caribbean island,the visitors staying is ISLAND STEADLY INCREASE, VISITORS STAYING SHARPLY OR EVENTUALLY BECAOME THE LARGLY GROUP. 2010 IN 1 MILLON TOURIST VISITING VISITORS STAYING ON CRUISE SHIPS 2013 IS EXCESSIVE AND VISITORS STAYING ON ISLAND. 2014 IN ROSE SEADILY NUMBER OF TOURISTS VISITING AND VISITORS STAYING ON CRUISE SHIPS IS SHARPLY INCREASE AT AROUND . 2017 NUMBER OF TOURISTS VISITING VISITORS STAYING ON ISLAND IS FIGURE ROSE IN INCREASE AT AROUND VISITOES STAYING ON CRUISE SHIPS NUMBER OF TOURISTS VISITING A CARIBBEAN ISLAND IN MILLONS OF VISITOR VISITING.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the chart’s subject and attempt an overall summary, noting that island-based visitors increase and cruise-ship visitors rise sharply. However, the overview is difficult to interpret, and the account does not clearly report the main pattern or make accurate, specific comparisons. For example, the figures for 2013 and 2017 are not stated coherently, and the claim that cruise-ship visitors become the largest group is not supported: in 2017 they reach about 2 million, while total visitors are about 3.5 million. The response also contains only 125 words, below the required 150, so the task is underdeveloped. Organise the report around the overall rise in total visitors and the contrasting trends in the two categories, using a few clear figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

There is an attempt to move from an introduction to an overview and then to details, and phrases such as “Overall” and “2017” signal the intended structure. However, the response does not develop a clear sequence of information: several statements run together, and the reader cannot reliably tell which figures or visitor groups are being compared. The long overview sentence, including “VISITORS STAYING IS ISLAND STEADLY INCREASE,” is especially hard to follow. Repetition of “number of tourists visiting” also makes the progression feel circular rather than organised. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and key details, and group the figures by trend, linking each comparison explicitly.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “total number,” “visitors,” “cruise ships,” and “increase,” so the topic is recognisable. However, the range is repetitive and several word choices or forms make the meaning unclear, such as “excessive” for a data trend, “largly group,” and “figure rose in increase.” Spelling and capitalisation are also inconsistent, including “caribbean,” “millons,” and “visitoes.” These errors sometimes strain the reader’s effort to understand the intended comparisons. Build a small set of accurate trend expressions and use them precisely—for example, “rose steadily,” “increased sharply,” “remained stable,” and “accounted for”—rather than repeating “number of tourists visiting.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0

The response attempts to form sentences and includes a basic overview structure, but grammatical control is weak and sentence patterns are very limited. Many clauses lack a clear subject–verb relationship, as in “2014 in rose steadily number of tourists visiting,” while “visitors staying on island” is missing an article. Verb forms and agreement are also unreliable, and punctuation does not separate the ideas effectively. As a result, the reader often has to infer the intended meaning rather than follow complete statements. Practise writing short, complete sentences first, such as “The total rose to 2.5 million in 2014.” Then add comparisons using controlled structures like “while” and “whereas,” checking articles, tense, and sentence boundaries.

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