Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-07-31

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 6.5)

The line graph illustrates the number of tourists visiting a specific island in the Caribbean from 2010 to 2017.

Overall, the number of visitors increased sharply, either visitors staying on cruise ships or staying on islands. Specifically, tourists prefer to stay on ships more than staying on an island.

Millions of tourists visited a Caribbean island in 7 years. In 2010, visitors prefer to stay on an island rather than on cruise ships. Approximately, 0.75 million visitors like to stay on an island and for the next three years this figure reached 1.5 million and was stable for a couple of years. After that, there was a decrement for a year but in 2017 it remains stable at 1.5 million visitors.

In 2010, around 0.25 million visitors stay on cruise ships, and this figure fluctuated for over 3 years at 0.5 million people. Then, the graph rises from 2013 to 2017 and nearly 2 million people prefer to stay on cruise ships. On total 2.5 million visitors increased over that time from 10 lakhs to 35 lakhs. To be more precise, the total visitors increased from 2010 to

2015 and remain stable for a year and then rise sharply from 2016 to 2017.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main features of the graph, including the overall trends for both categories. However, the analysis is somewhat inconsistent. For instance, the statement that 'tourists prefer to stay on ships more than staying on an island' is a valid observation for the end of the period, but the description of the data is occasionally imprecise, such as the confusing mention of '10 lakhs to 35 lakhs' which is not standard for IELTS reporting. The overview is present but could be more clearly linked to the specific data points. The reporting of figures is generally accurate, but the structure of the body paragraphs could be more logically grouped to better highlight the comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Specifically', 'In 2010', and 'After that', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences in the second body paragraph is slightly disjointed, particularly when discussing the total visitor numbers at the end. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different categories of tourists, which aids overall readability.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing for the description of trends (e.g., 'increased sharply', 'fluctuated', 'remains stable'). There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'decrement' (a decrease is more natural) and the use of 'lakhs', which is not appropriate for an international exam context. While the student attempts to use some less common vocabulary, the precision is occasionally lacking. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility or sophistication required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as tense inconsistencies ('visitors prefer' instead of 'preferred' when discussing 2010) and issues with subject-verb agreement ('this figure reached... and was stable'). Punctuation is generally functional, though some sentences are slightly awkward in their construction. While these errors are noticeable, they do not significantly impede communication. To improve, the student should focus on maintaining consistent verb tenses when describing past data and refining the use of articles and prepositions.

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