Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-11-03

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 given graph illustrates the total number of visitors who visited a particular Caribbean island betweeb 2010 to 2017.It also covers those who stayed in the ships and on the island.The number of visitors are describe in millions.

Overall,an increase in the number of visitors was noticed after every year.However,a fluctuation in other two graphs was seen.

In 2010,1 million people visited Caribbean Island.The number of peole who visited incread every year.A sharp incline was seen from 2016 to 2017 and the number of visitors reached to 3.5 million.Visitors staying on the cruise first showed an incline from 2010 to 2011 as the number of people staying on the ships was neaarly .25 million in 2010 and 0.5 million in 2011.However a decline was noticed between the years 2011 to 2013 as the number of visitors staying on the cruise decreased to nearly 0.25 million in 2012 .From 2013 to 2017 a rise in the number of the people were seen reaching to 2 million in 2017.

Visitors staying in island started from 0.75 million and showed a drop

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the graph’s subject and give a broad overview that total visitor numbers rose, reaching 3.5 million in 2017. Several cruise-ship figures and the starting figure for island visitors are also reported. However, the overview is incomplete: it says the other two lines fluctuated, but does not clearly highlight that island-staying visitors were comparatively stable overall, while cruise-ship visitors rose markedly and became the larger group by 2017. There is also a factual error in saying cruise numbers declined from 2011 to 2013; they fell in 2012, then recovered to 0.5 million in 2013. The final paragraph stops after “showed a drop,” leaving the island trend unreported. Select the main comparisons and describe the full period accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has an opening, an overview, and paragraphs that attempt to describe the total and the two visitor categories. Time markers such as “In 2010,” “However,” and “From 2013 to 2017” help the reader follow parts of the account. However, progression is uneven: the total and cruise figures are mixed in one long paragraph, and the final paragraph ends before explaining the island-stayer trend. Some linking is repetitive or awkward, particularly repeated uses of “However” and “the number of visitors.” Organise the details into clearer comparisons—for example, one paragraph for total growth and another comparing the two categories—and complete each trend before moving on. This would make the overall sequence more coherent and reduce the need for repeated transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “total number,” “fluctuation,” “sharp incline,” and “reached,” so the reader can understand the general subject and direction of change. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “visitors who visited” is repetitive, “stayed in the ships” is less precise than “stayed on cruise ships,” and “a drop” is not developed into a clear description. Spelling errors such as “betweeb,” “peole,” “incread,” and “neaarly” also detract from control. Aim for precise trend language and accurate collocations, such as “rose steadily,” “remained stable,” and “fell slightly,” while avoiding repeated wording. Proofreading would help make your vocabulary more effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses with “as” and time phrases such as “from 2013 to 2017.” Meaning is generally recoverable, but grammatical errors occur throughout. For example, “The number of visitors are describe” has problems with subject–verb agreement and verb form; “the number of people were seen” also mismatches the singular subject “number.” The opening phrase “between 2010 to 2017” uses an incorrect preposition pattern, and missing spaces after full stops make sentence boundaries unclear. Articles and sentence punctuation are also inconsistent. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and agreement, and check each sentence for a clear subject and verb. More reliable control of these patterns would make your attempted complex sentences easier to follow.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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