Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-21

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 5.0)

Graph shows the number of people visiting the Caribbean island in between 2010 and 2017. The number of peopls who stays on cruise ships at first increases to 0.5 million people then decreases and then keep on increasing till 2017. On the other hand people who stays on island first decreases a bit then increases and then start becoming straight and then again decreases in 2016 and increases in 2017.But overall the number of people who visit Caribbean island increases. So, the overall number of tourist increases till 2017.But mostly people start staying on cruise ships. As two million people stays on cruise ships and 1.5 million people stays on island in 2017.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the overall rise in tourist numbers and include the 2017 figures for both visitor groups, which are consistent with the graph. You also note that cruise-ship visitors generally increased and that island-staying visitors levelled off before a small dip and recovery. However, the account is brief and only partially develops the main features: it does not report the total rising from about 1 million to 3.5 million, or compare the groups’ changing contributions. The claim that island visitors “first decreases a bit” is inaccurate; they remain stable from 2010 to 2011 before rising. The response is also 37 words below the required minimum. Add a clear overview and several accurate comparisons to cover the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic sequence: it describes cruise-ship visitors, then island visitors, and ends with an overall comment and 2017 figures. Linking phrases such as “On the other hand” and “But overall” help signal these shifts. However, the ideas are compressed into one paragraph, and the repeated use of “then” makes the trends sound like a list rather than a clearly organised comparison. The overview is mixed with specific details, and “So, the overall number…” repeats the preceding point without adding much. Use separate paragraphs for an overview and the key details, and group related trends together. More precise links between the series would make progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant basic terms, including “increases,” “decreases,” “staying on cruise ships,” and “overall number,” so the reader can understand the subject and general direction of change. However, the vocabulary is limited and repetitive, especially the repeated “then” and “people.” Some choices are imprecise for describing a graph: “start becoming straight” is an awkward way to describe a stable figure, and “mostly people start staying on cruise ships” does not clearly express the change in the two groups’ relative numbers. There are also spelling and word-form slips, such as “peopls” and “tourist” where a plural is needed. Build a small range of accurate trend and comparison phrases.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response uses mostly simple sentence patterns, with a few attempts to connect ideas using “On the other hand” and “As.” These structures communicate the broad message, but the range is limited and errors occur frequently. For example, “people who stays” has subject–verb disagreement, while “two million people stays” repeats the same problem; “in between 2010 and 2017” is also an inaccurate prepositional construction. The long sentence beginning “The number of peopls…” relies on a chain of clauses and is difficult to control, with inconsistent tense and punctuation. Practise accurate plural subjects with plural verbs, and use shorter sentences to report each series’ changes before attempting more complex comparisons.

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