Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-10-15

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The line graph shows the number of first time visitors and returning visitors who visited Caryl Island from 2000 to 2008.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The line graph shows the number of first time visitors and returning visitors who visited Caryl Island from 2000 to 2008.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

The bar graph represents the number of tourists who came for the first time and returned after visiting Caryl Island over the 8-year period, from 2000 to 2008.

Overall, the graph shows an upward trend. There was an exponential growth in both first time visitors and returning visitors over the period. The number of returning visitors, which was significantly low in the begining years, seemed to surpass the incoming tourists and became dominant at the end of the period.

In the beginnng years, the figure for people who visted for the first time was 8000, which decreased to 4000 in 2002, and again started to increase steadily to nearly 12000 in 2008.

The number of returning visitors were roughly 3000 in 2000, which was quite low compared to the proportion of the first time visitors, which then surpassed the number of first time visitors in 2001 and began to increase continuously; the figure then peaked at around 15000 in 2006, before experiencing a modest fall to approximately 14000 in 2008.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the two visitor groups and give a clear overview of their broad movement, including the rise in returning visitors and their later decline. Several key figures are also reported accurately: first-time visitors fall from 8,000 to 4,000, then rise to nearly 12,000, while returning visitors peak at about 15,000 in 2006. However, the overview says both groups show “exponential growth,” which is inaccurate: first-time visitors fluctuate, and returning visitors fall after their peak. The claim that returning visitors surpassed first-time visitors in 2001 is not supported by the chart, which gives data only at two-year intervals; the crossover is between 2000 and 2002. A more precise overview and comparison of the groups’ contrasting patterns would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is organised into an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs, so the reader can follow the main stages of the account. Time markers such as “in 2000,” “in 2002” and “in 2006” help establish sequence, and “before” effectively signals the final decline in returning visitors. Some connections are less clear or repetitive: the final paragraph repeats the comparison with first-time visitors, and the phrase “which then surpassed” has an unclear reference, making the timing of the crossover harder to follow. The overview also groups both series under one upward trend despite their different patterns. To improve progression, present the overall contrast first, then describe each series with clear references and avoid repeating comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of trend vocabulary, including “decreased,” “increase steadily,” “peaked” and “modest fall,” which helps describe changes rather than simply list figures. Some choices are imprecise or unnatural for this graph: “exponential growth” overstates the pattern, “incoming tourists” is less exact than “first-time visitors,” and “proportion” is not the right term for a visitor count. There are also spelling errors, including “begining,” “beginnng” and “visted”; these do not prevent understanding but reduce accuracy. Aim for precise, consistent terms for the two categories and use trend language that matches the data. For example, describe the first-time series as fluctuating before rising, rather than as growing exponentially.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including relative clauses (“which was significantly low…”) and a time clause with “before,” and the main trends remain understandable. Some grammatical errors persist. In “The number of returning visitors were,” the singular subject “number” requires “was.” The sentence beginning “The number of returning visitors were roughly 3000” is also overloaded with several clauses, making the relationship between the figures and the crossover difficult to track. In “the figure then peaked,” the reference to “figure” is not fully clear. Break longer sentences into more controlled units, check subject–verb agreement, and make pronoun references explicit. These changes would improve accuracy while preserving the range of structures already attempted.

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