Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-16
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 6.0)
The line graph represents the number of visitors to a specific Caribbean island across eight years between 2010 and 2017.
Overall, the number of visitors staying on cruise ships and visitors staying on island were the highest in 2017 and the lowest in 2010. Total was also seen showing similar trend with slight rise from 2010 to 2017.
The visitors staying on cruise ships were the lowest in 2010 at 0.3 with a slight rise seen in 2011 to 0.5, followed by a further dip in 2012 to 0.3 again, and another increase to 0.5 in 2013. From here onwards, it kept on rising until 2017 to 2 millions.
As for the visitors staying on island a different trend was seen where it kept fluctuating. A steady line was seen between 2010 and 2011 at 0.75 millions with a sudden increase to 1.2 and 1.5 in 2012, and 2013 respectively. It stayed same for next 3 years until 2015, and showed a slight decline to 1.25 in 2016 and finally getting back to 1.5 in 2017 again.
The total was the highest among all starting with 1 million visitors in 2010, with a consistent rise to 1.25 and 1.5 in 2011 and 2012 respectively. A sudden rise was seen from here to 2 million in 2013 and 2.5 million in 2014. It reached an all-time high in 2017 with 3.5 million visitors.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all parts of the task, identifying the main trends for cruise ship visitors, island stayers, and the total. You have successfully selected key data points to support your descriptions. However, the overview is slightly inaccurate; you state that both categories were 'highest in 2017 and lowest in 2010', but the data shows that cruise ship visitors were lowest in 2010 and 2012, and island stayers fluctuated significantly rather than simply being lowest in 2010. To reach a higher band, ensure your overview captures the most significant general trends rather than attempting to list specific years, which can lead to over-generalisation or factual errors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organised into clear paragraphs, with each focusing on a specific category. There is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'As for' and 'From here onwards', to link ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes a bit mechanical or repetitive. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases and ensure that the transition between sentences flows more naturally. For example, instead of starting multiple sentences with 'A... was seen', try to vary the sentence structure to improve the flow of information.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fluctuating', 'steady', and 'decline' appropriately. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, 'Total was also seen showing similar trend' is slightly awkward; 'The total figure also followed a similar trend' would be more precise. Additionally, you use 'millions' incorrectly when referring to specific numbers (e.g., '0.75 millions' should be '0.75 million'). Improving your control over these specific numerical expressions and refining your collocations will help you achieve a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles and pluralisation, such as 'staying on island' (should be 'staying on the island') and '0.75 millions' (should be '0.75 million'). There are also some issues with tense consistency and preposition usage. While these errors do not impede communication, they are noticeable. To improve, focus on proofreading for small errors like missing articles and ensuring that your subject-verb agreement is consistent throughout the response.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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