Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-11-01

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 total number of visitors visit a Caribbean island between 2010 to 2017.

Overall, graph shows three different figures which are total visitors staying on cruise ships, second total visitors staying on island. The graph shows that total visitors are gradually increasing over the time from one millon in 2010 to highest 3.5 million visitor visit Caribbean island in 2017.

The graph suggest that Visitors staying on island are stable from 2013 to 2015 at one and half million. In 2016, visitors staying on island slightly drop in 2016, but it reach back to one and half million in 2017. On the other hand visitors staying on cruise ships are gradually increasing each year and reach at highest level two million in 2017.

In conclusion, the visitors are visting Caribbean island increasing every year

since 2010.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the overall rise in total visitors, from 1 million in 2010 to 3.5 million in 2017, and report useful details about both accommodation groups, including the island figure’s stability from 2013 to 2015 and the cruise-ship increase to 2 million. However, the overview is unclear when it says the graph shows “three different figures” without explaining the main contrast: island-based visitors were higher for most of the period, while cruise-ship visitors rose sharply and overtook them in 2017. The final sentence repeats the general increase rather than adding a key comparison. The response is also 11 words below the required minimum. Develop the overview and include a few more relevant comparisons to cover the information more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear basic structure: an introduction, an overview, a paragraph about the two visitor groups, and a concluding sentence. Linking phrases such as “Overall” and “On the other hand” help signal the direction of the discussion, and the information generally progresses from the overall trend to category details. To make the organisation more effective, avoid repeating the same overall point in both the overview and conclusion. Some connections are also awkward or unclear, as in “In 2016, visitors staying on island slightly drop in 2016,” where the repeated year interrupts the flow. Use clearer references to the two series and organise the comparison around their different trends; this would build on the coherent arrangement already present.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “gradually increasing,” “stable,” “slightly drop,” and “highest level,” so the reader can follow the main trends. However, the range is limited and several choices or forms are noticeably inaccurate, such as “total number of visitors visit,” “one millon,” and “visiting Caribbean island increasing.” Repetition of “visitors” and “graph shows” also makes the description less precise. Choose standard collocations such as “the number of visitors,” “reached a peak,” and “remained stable,” and use “million” accurately. More varied terms for the two groups—such as “cruise-ship passengers” and “visitors staying on the island”—would help you describe the data more naturally and precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer sentences, and the main meaning is usually understandable. However, errors in sentence structure and verb forms are frequent enough to make some sentences awkward. For example, “The line graph illustrates total number of visitors visit” needs an article and a corrected clause, while “visitors staying on island slightly drop” has an incorrect verb form and missing article. In “it reach back,” the verb does not agree with its subject. The final sentence, “the visitors are visting Caribbean island increasing,” is also not grammatically complete. Practise accurate present-tense descriptions and build longer sentences around clear subjects and verbs; check articles, agreement, and punctuation before submitting.

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