Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

This graph illustrates the number of visitors of a particular caribbean island between 2010 and 2017.

Overall, Visitors staying on island was taken over by visitors staying on cruise ships which saw sharp increase in their numbers from 2012 to 2017. Meanwhile the number of total visitors to island is trippled.

In 2010, Total number tourists at island represented around (1 million), followed by 0.7 million living at island and 0.3 million staying on cruise ships.

In between 2015 and 2016 visitors staying on crusie became the most popular choice by overtaking visitors staying at island. By 2016 the total visitors staying on cruise surged to 1.5 million from 1.2 million visitors in 2015, While the vistors staying on island fell to 1.3 million from 1.5 miilion visitors in 2015 visitors. The total Number visitors reacged its peak in 2017 around 3.5 million in that number of visitor at cruise was around 2 million whereas remaining 1.5 stayed at island.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall patterns: the total rose substantially, cruise-ship visitors increased, and island-staying visitors were comparatively stable. The final-year figures are also reported accurately at about 3.5 million in total, split into 2 million on cruise ships and 1.5 million on the island. However, the overview that island visitors were “taken over” by cruise visitors is imprecise: cruise visitors did not become the larger group until 2017, not 2016. The claim that the total “trippled” is broadly supported, but the account gives limited coverage of the earlier progression and does not clearly compare the two visitor groups across the period. More precise trend reporting and a clearer overview would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about the beginning, middle and end of the period. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression within the detail paragraph is not always clear: the sentence beginning “In between 2015 and 2016” is followed by figures for 2016 and 2015, then the account jumps to 2017. Some linking is mechanical or confusing, particularly “followed by” in the opening-year comparison and “whereas” in the final sentence. Paragraphing is present, but grouping the figures into clearer stages and using more precise links between comparisons would improve cohesion and make the sequence easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “visitors,” “total,” “surged,” “overtaking” and “peak,” which helps describe changes and comparisons. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “visitors of a particular… island,” “living at island,” and “most popular choice” for visitor numbers. Spelling errors—including “caribbean,” “crusie,” “vistors,” “miilion” and “reacged”—are noticeable and reduce the precision of the report. The range is sufficient to communicate the main trends, but repeated use of “visitors” and imprecise expressions limit flexibility. Practise standard chart language such as “the number of visitors staying on the island” and “accounted for.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex forms, including the overview contrast introduced by “Meanwhile” and the comparison using “whereas.” Some sentences communicate the intended meaning, but grammatical control is uneven. For example, “Visitors staying on island was taken over” has a subject–verb agreement problem and an incomplete article pattern; “the number of total visitors to island is trippled” also has errors in article use and verb form. Capitalisation within sentences is inconsistent, as in “While” and “Number.” The long sentence beginning “By 2016” combines several comparisons without clear punctuation, making its structure difficult to manage. Use shorter, accurately formed sentences and check articles, agreement and past-tense forms.

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