Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-20

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 shows the number of tourists visiting a particular Caribbean island between 2010 and 2017.

Overall, the number of visitors staying on island decreased and the number of visitor staying on cruise ships increased.

According to the graph in 2010 the percentage of visitors is 0.3% and year 2012 the percentage is decrease and next up and down in during years 2010 to 2016 and the number of tourists is 3.5% in 2017 and the next percentage of visitors staying on island is 0.7% in 2010 and same averages in 2011next go to the same average in 2013 to 2015 one time according to the graph down ratio in year 2016 and break up in 1.5% in 2017.

The next and last number of tourists visiting a Caribbean island and the ratio of total visitors in 2010 is 1% and year 2012 in 1.5% and increased with good average in year 2017 is 3.5%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the chart’s subject and attempt an overview by contrasting cruise-ship visitors with those staying on the island. However, the overview is inaccurate: island visitors generally rose from about 0.75 million to 1.5 million, rather than decreasing. Several figures are also misreported as percentages, and the account of the cruise-ship trend is unclear; the total reaches about 3.5 million in 2017, not 3.5%. The response mentions some relevant years but does not clearly select and compare the main trends. It is also below the required 150 words: 14 words copied from the prompt were excluded from the count. To improve, report figures in millions, describe the overall rise accurately, and compare the two visitor groups with a few well-chosen data points.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The response has a basic structure: an opening sentence, an overview, and a further paragraph about the data. This gives the reader some sense of the intended order. However, progression within the body is difficult to follow, especially in the long sentence beginning “According to the graph in 2010,” where figures for cruise-ship visitors, island visitors, and the total are mixed together. Linking phrases such as “the next and last” do not clearly show how the information relates, and “next up and down” leaves the trend uncertain. Organise the report into clear sections for the overview and the two visitor categories, and use direct comparisons and precise references to years to make the sequence easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “visitors,” “cruise ships,” “increased,” and “decreased,” so the subject is recognisable. However, the range is limited and several expressions are repetitive or imprecise. “Percentage” is used for values that are numbers of visitors in millions, while “good average” and “down ratio” do not communicate a clear statistical trend. Phrases such as “next and last number of tourists” also sound unnatural and make the intended comparison harder to understand. Aim for accurate chart language and vary the verbs used to describe change, for example, “rose,” “remained stable,” and “fell slightly.” Use “million visitors” rather than a percentage when reporting the figures.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

There are attempts at both simple and joined sentences, and the opening sentence is grammatically clear. However, control is inconsistent, particularly in the long middle sentence, which lacks a clear grammatical structure and contains unclear links between clauses. Examples include “the percentage is decrease,” “and year 2012,” and “same averages in 2011next,” where verb forms, articles, and sentence boundaries are not handled accurately. The overview also has an agreement problem in “the number of visitor.” These errors make several statements difficult to interpret. Use shorter sentences with a clear subject and verb, check singular and plural forms, and punctuate each year-by-year comparison as a complete sentence.

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