The graph below shows the number of tourists visiting a particular Caribbean island between 2010 and 2017.
Summerise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
This essay question is from Cambridge IELTS 15 Test 2 Writing Task 1.
Number of tourists visiting a Caribbean island (2010-2017)

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Sample Essay
The line graph displays how many tourists visited a certain Caribbean island between 2010 and 2017.
Overall, the island’s total visitor count rose steadily almost every year over the 7 years. Starting in 2016, more visitors stayed on cruise ships than on the island; before that, the reverse was true.
The total number of arrivals on the island went up gradually from 1 million in 2010 to roughly 2.75 million in 2015. It then stayed at this level in 2016 until it rocketed to 3.5 million in 2017.
The volume of visitors who stayed on the island stood at about 0.75 million in 2010 and 2011. It then increased consistently before reaching a plateau of 1.5 million which lasted from 2013 to 2017 except for a small dip in 2016.
There were far fewer tourists staying on cruise ships in 2010, at only around 0.25 million. After some fluctuations over the following 2 years, the number started climbing steadily, overtaking the number of those staying on the island in 2016 and reaching 2 million in 2017.
181 Words
How to Vary Your Language
When writing your essay, you will definitely use ‘number of tourists’ multiple times. Pay attention to how I used ‘visitor count’, ‘number of arrivals’, and ‘volume of visitors’ to avoid repetition.
How to Write the Overview
To score a 7, You must summarise at least two key features.
For a line graph, of course, we need to summarise general trends: all three lines showed an overall upward trend.
But, this is not enough. We need another key feature. Remember, the question asks us to make comparisons. So we can compare the second line with the third line, and say whose figures were bigger: before 2016, the second line got bigger figures; however, starting in 2016, the third line got bigger ones.
How to Avoid Giving Too Much Detail
When writing about the second line, don’t say its figures first remained stable, then increased, then remained stable again, then decreased, then increased again. This is too detailed. The question only asks us to report the main features. So, for the trends from 2013 to 2017, we can simply say the figures remained stable, and then point out the small drop in 2016.
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Can you check my essay please? thank you
The given line graph illustrates the number of holidaymakers visiting an island in the Caribbean from 2010 to 2017
Overall, it can be inferred from the graph that the total number of visitors in the last seven years is constantly rising. Moreover, at the end of the period, more tourists prefer staying on cruise ships rather than on an island.
Based on the graph, the total number of sightseers in 2010 was just only around 1 million. In the next five years, the total number of guests gradually escalated to approximately 2.7 million. Finally, it escalated to about 3.5 million tourists in 2017 after had remained constant for a year.
Looking at the other figures, from 2010 to 2011, the line for visitors staying on the island remained the same. Then, it roses to around 1.5 million guests and remained persistent for 2 years. In 2015, the line dipped and jumped again to 1.5 million holidaymakers.
Apart from accounted a few oscillations from 2010 to 2013, the number of travelers staying on cruise ships had a considerable leap over the seven years period to reach its maximum point of 2 million travellers, overtaking the number of guests staying on cruise ships in 2016.
The line chart illustrates information about changes in two different categories of travelers visiting a unique Caribbean Island from 2010 to 2017 and the overall trend over seven years.
Overall, it is evident that the total amount of tourists has increased over the years. The growth of visitors from cruise ships was predominantly substantial.
The total amount of visitors going to a particular Caribbean island in 2010 was approximately 1 million. This figure rose dramatically to roughly 2.7 million in 2015. After that, it continued experiencing a sharp expansion to 3.5 million towards the end of the period.
0.3 million travelers remaining on cruise ships went to a particular Caribbean island. There was an increase, followed by a slight decline, and this figure remained at 0.3 million in 2012. And then, it underwent a sharp soar and reached up to 2 million by 2017, outweighing the number of visitors staying on the island from 2016.
On the other hand, there is a moderate increase in the number of tourists staying on the island. The statistic of visitors was 0.75 million in 2010. This figure climbed up to 1.5 million in 2013, followed by remaining at the same level from 2013 to 2017, despite fluctuations.
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The graph illustrates how many people visited the Caribbean islands as tourists in the years 2010 and 2017. Between 2010 and 2017, a general trend of traveling to the Caribbean islands by sea cruise increased steadily, although the total number of people who stayed on the isle had higher number than people staying on sail in most of the time period.
In 2010, all visitors on land were approximately 1.75 millions, while stayed people on board was around 0.25millions. In the island, the travel rate was stable between 2010 and 2011, and gave a considerable rise next 2 years, then had almost constant number at 1.5millions.
Between 2010 and 2012, despite the fact that 0.25 milions changed in 2011 the number of people on board, it had the same volume. In 2012, It bottomed at around 0.25millions, over the years the number of cruise people generally rose, and at the end of the period displayed a rate of 2 millions.
The line graph details the total number of trips taken by tourist to the Caribbean island from 2010 to 2017. The visiting tourist either resided in a cruise ship or stayed on the island. Overall, tourist count grew steadily over the 7-year period. Furthermore, the number of visitors staying on the cruise ship exceeded visitors staying at island from 2016.
To begin, approximated 0.8 million tourist stayed at the cruise during 2010 and 2011, afterwards these numbers rose steadily to reach a peak of 1.5 million tourist occupying the cruise ship in 2013. This figure of 1.5 million tourist remained relatively stable from 2013 to 2017 barring an exception, in year 2016, with slight dip to approximately 1.2 million tourists occupancy in cruise.
In comparison, only 0.3 million tourist resided on the island during 2010, additionally, these figure grew substantially starting from 2012 and surpassed visitor count staying at cruise during 2015 and it remained that way till the end of 2017; with 2 million tourist preferring to stay at he islands.
The given line graph compares how many visitors traveled to a particular Caribbean island over the period 7 years starting from 2010.
It is vividly seen that, the total value of tourists visiting the Caribbean island always went up the over the period. In addition during the most of the period, the number of visitors staying on cruise ships was lower then that staying on island.
As can be seen from the graph, at the beginning of the period the total quantity of tourists traveling to the Caribbean island was exactly 1 million, approximately with 75.000 of them prefer staying on the island, whereas the rest decided to stay on cruise ships. During the following 2 years, while there was an insignificant reduce to reach the lowest point of the line graph just below roughly 0.25 million in the number of sightseers staying on cruise ships, when staying on the island was still a more popular choice with nearly 1.25 million visitants.
At the end of the period, the total amount of tourists traveling to the Caribbean island rapidly rose to 3.5 millions. Moreover the number of tourists who staying on the cruise ships saw a sharp increase to obviously 2 million transcending the figure for those staying on the island 1.5 million.
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The line graph gives information on the number of tourist visiting a Caribbean island from 2010- 2017, as well as shows where the visitors are staying. The unit are in millions.
Overall, it is apparent that the number of visitors increased over the years with its peak at the end of the years.
In 2010, the number of people who visited and reside in cruise ship and island were around 0.3 million and about 0.75million respectively, however, the former gradually Rose to 0.5million in 2011 where as the later amost levelled off from the begining till 2011. Visitors In Caribbean island experienced sharp increase to 1.5million in 2013, this number remainded steady till 2015, before it experience,fall to about 1.3million in 2016 and then rose to 1.5 million in2017. Meanwhile, the visitors in cruise ships excalated from 2011, overriding the number of people in island between 2015 and 2016, reaching its peak to 2million in 2017. However, the total number of the visitors begin with 1million in 2010 and steadily increases to about 2.55million in 2015, then remained static till 2016, before experiencing sharp increase to 3.5million in 2017.
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The line graph provides infprmation about the amount of tourits is in the millions who stayed two different places in the Caribean island from 2010 to 2017. It reveals significant similarities and differnces. Overall, it is indicated that the total visitor count had gradually inclined the thruogh out of the time period.
According the graph, in 2010 visitors who stayed on island had started jus 0.75 millions and it remained stable to 2011. On the other hand visitors who stayed on cruise ships had slightly climbed up to 0.5 millions.
As well as, the graph gives the figure from 2011 to 2013 the number of tourists stayed on island had gradually went up 1.5 millions and then it remained constantly end of the year 2015. While, that period number of visitors stayed on cruise ships rose distinctively near 1.5 millions except 2011-2012.
In addition, number of passangers reached to peak at 2 millionin 2017 and other volume of visitors indicated fluctuation following 2 years.
Please evaluate this task1
The line chart compares the number of vacationers visiting a particular Caribbean island from 2010 to 2017.
It is clear that the total number of visitors to this island increased steadily over the period shown. Furthermore, more visitors preferred to stay on the island compared to sailing before the middle of 2015,after that, the reverse was true.
In 2010, the total number of holidaymakers was about 1 million. Look at the figure in detail, there were around 0.75 million people stay the island, while only 0.25 million travellers chose to stay on cruise ships. Over the following 5 years, the number of vacationers staying on the cruise ships increased steadily, except for a small drop of 0.25 million between 2011 and 2012, whereas the figure for island staying people stay stable, except for a jump of 0.75 million from 2011 to 2013, to 1.5 million at the early time of 2013, followed by a level off over the next two years before 2015.
After the beginning of 2015, the number of visitors on the visiting ships still went up, to 2 million at the early of 2017 compared to a fluctuate of 0.25 million in the volume of land visitors between 2015 and 2017, finally to 1.5 million again at the beginning of 2017. The total visitor count soared after 2016, to 3.5 million in 2017.
I want to ask what are a type of tenses I should use? I know that we need to use a variety of verbs what could you help me to know which ones to use as a rule of thumb so that I start try inserting them in my writings
You should use the simple past tense to answer this line graph question. I don’t recommend memorizing a list of verbs and inserting them in your essays because every essay task is different.
Thanks, I learned new things from this essay and the tips under it. (especially about varying the words we use)