Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The line graph illustrates the number of visitors in millions visiting a specific Caribbean island starting from 2010 to 2017.

Overall, the line graph shows that the total number of visitors had increased significantly in whole timeline of graph. However, visitors staying on cruise ships recorded highest while visitors staying on island recorded a slight lower.

In 2010, visitors staying on ships had started to increase till 2011, which was 0.5 millions. Then number of visitors in graph gone lower to 0.25 millions in 2012. From 2012 onwards, the trend increased rapidly and reached 2 millions in 2017, with total numbers of visitors peaked at 3.5 millions.

In 2010, visitors staying on island had started from 0.75 millions and then gone all the waty flat till 2011. From 2011 onwards, there was quiet impressive growth in total visitors staying on island peaked at 2016, which was 1.25 millions and total number of visitors had also inclined to 3.5 millions in 2017.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the overall rise in total visitors and describe changes in both visitor groups, including several relevant figures. However, the overview contains a major misreading: cruise-ship visitors did not record the highest numbers throughout; island visitors were more numerous until 2016, and cruise visitors only overtook them in 2017. The island figures are also misreported: they rose to 1.5 million in 2013, stayed there through 2015, fell to 1.25 million in 2016, then returned to 1.5 million in 2017. The claim that island visitors peaked at 1.25 million in 2016 is therefore inaccurate. To strengthen the report, give a precise overview of the contrasting trends and compare the two groups at the beginning and end.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and separate paragraphs for the two visitor categories. Time markers such as “In 2010,” “Then,” and “From 2012 onwards” help the reader follow the chronology. However, progression is weakened by repeated and sometimes unclear references to “total visitors,” particularly in the paragraph about people staying on the island, where the category and total figures become confused. The overview also does not clearly establish the key comparison between the groups. Organise each body paragraph around one series, keep its figures distinct from the total, and use clearer links to show changes over time rather than repeating similar time phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “visitors,” “trend,” “increased,” and “peaked,” and the meaning is generally recoverable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “recorded highest,” “quiet impressive growth,” and “the trend increased rapidly.” “Gone lower” and “inclined” are also not natural ways to describe these movements in a graph. Spelling errors such as “waty” further reduce accuracy. Build a more precise set of trend expressions and use them consistently—for example, “rose,” “fell,” “remained stable,” and “reached a peak.” Check spelling and choose collocations that describe the data directly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses beginning with “which” and time expressions such as “From 2012 onwards.” However, errors are frequent and sometimes make relationships between figures difficult to follow. Examples include “the total number of visitors had increased significantly in whole timeline,” “visitors staying on ships had started to increase,” and “total visitors staying on island peaked at 2016.” These show problems with articles, tense and verb patterns; “0.5 millions” also has incorrect number agreement. Use the past simple for the chart period (“rose,” “fell,” “reached”), and check subject–verb agreement and singular “million.” Shorter, accurately controlled sentences would make the comparisons clearer before you attempt more complex structures.

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