Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-10-16

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 line graph illustrates the amount of people who are visiting the Caryl Island for the first time and the number of people who are returning visitors of the island from 2000 to 2008.

Overall, it is evident that tourists often revisit the islands which can be seen by the steep slope indicating the returning visitors, whereas in regards to the first time visitors it decreased during the early years, then attaining growth in the later years.

It can be observed that people often return for another vacation to the Carly islands, from just 2500 revisiting tourists in the year 2000 to a staggering 14500 people by the end of 2006. However, in the following couple of years the numbers dropped slightly.

Looking at the trend of first time visitors, it can be seen that the numbers declined by 4000 which is a significant amount of people. However, this trend did not last and the people visiting the island started growing again from 2003 and faced a steady rise to approximately 12000 tourists by 2008.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the two visitor groups and give a broad overview: returning visitors rose markedly before falling, while first-time visitors fell initially and then recovered. These are the graph’s main patterns. However, some figures and timing are inaccurate: returning visitors rise from about 3,000 to 15,200 in 2006, rather than 2,500 to 14,500, and the first-time recovery begins after 2002, not in 2003. The statement that tourists “often revisit” also generalises beyond what the graph shows, which is visitor numbers over time. Your account covers the main trends, but the comparison between the groups and the key peak and ending values could be reported more precisely to make the summary more fully supported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised into a clear introduction, overview, and two body paragraphs, with the visitor groups handled separately. This gives the reader a logical route through the information, and transitions such as “Overall,” “However,” and “Looking at the trend” help signal shifts. The progression is generally easy to follow, though some linking is a little mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “However.” The overview also makes a broad claim about tourists revisiting rather than directly comparing the two series. For stronger cohesion, connect the groups through explicit comparisons—for example, noting that returning visitors overtook first-time visitors by 2002 and remained higher throughout the period.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “declined,” “steady rise,” “numbers dropped,” and “approximately,” so the trends are generally understandable. There are also attempts at more emphatic language, such as “steep slope” and “staggering,” but these are not always well suited to a neutral data summary. Some word choices and collocations are awkward: “amount of people” is less natural than “number of visitors,” and “faced a steady rise” is not idiomatic. The island’s name is also written as both “Caryl” and “Carly.” Aim for precise, neutral verbs such as “increased,” “peaked,” and “fell,” and use consistent labels for each visitor group.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and more complex structures, including a contrast clause in “whereas … it decreased” and a time clause in “in the following couple of years.” Most sentences communicate the intended trends, and errors do not prevent understanding. Some grammatical inaccuracies remain, however. In the opening, “people who are visiting” uses an unsuitable present progressive for a period in the past; use “people who visited.” The phrase “the numbers declined by 4000” would be clearer as “the number declined to 4,000,” since the graph shows the level reached. There are also article and number issues in “the Caryl Island” and “the islands.” More consistent past-tense reporting and careful singular/plural control would improve accuracy.

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