Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-17
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 given line graph illustrates the number of tourists visiting a caribbean island between 2010 and 2017, it measures in millions. it shows data for visitors staying on cruise ships, visitors staying on island and the total number of visitors.
it can be clearly seen that, the total number of tourists increased substantially over the period. while visitors staying on the island remained fairly stable, there was a dramatic rise in cruise ship visitors. who eventually outnumbered island stay visitors by 2017.
in 2010, the island received 1 million total tourists. of these, around 0.75 million stayed on the island, compared to just 0.25 million cruise visitors. over the next 7 years, the total rose steadily to 3.5 million in 2017.
the trends for the two visitor types differed markedly. the number of staying on the island grew moderately to a peak of 1.5 million in 2013 and 2015, before falling slightly to 1.25 million in 2016 and then recovering to 1.5 million . in contrast, cruise ship visitors fluctuated early on but then grew consistently from 0.5 million in 2013 to 2 million in 2017. by the end of the period, cruise visitors had become the larger group.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You covered all categories (cruise ship, island stay, and total) and made relevant comparisons, such as noting that cruise visitors eventually outnumbered island stay visitors. The data is accurately reported, and the inclusion of specific figures helps support your points. To reach a higher band, ensure that your overview is more distinct and clearly separated from the body paragraphs to highlight the 'big picture' trends more effectively. Overall, you have addressed all parts of the task well.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The response is logically organized, with a clear progression from an introduction to an overview and then detailed body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'while,' 'in contrast,' and 'by the end of the period' to link ideas effectively. However, there are some minor issues with punctuation and sentence structure, such as the sentence fragment 'who eventually outnumbered island stay visitors by 2017.' Improving the consistency of your paragraphing and ensuring that sentences are complete will help your writing flow more naturally and improve the overall cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'remained fairly stable,' 'dramatic rise,' and 'fluctuated early on' are appropriate for describing trends in a graph. There is some repetition of basic verbs, and you could benefit from using a wider variety of synonyms for 'increase' or 'decrease' to show more flexibility. While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more precise academic collocations would elevate your score further.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are several punctuation and capitalization errors, such as starting sentences with lowercase letters and missing periods. Additionally, there are minor grammatical slips, such as 'the number of staying on the island,' which should be 'the number of people staying on the island.' While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic mechanics will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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