Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-22

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 illustrates the number of tourist visiting a particular Caribbean island and the total number of tourists from 2010 to 2017.

Overall, visitors staying on cruise ships increased continuously throughout the period apart from 2012 where the number of tourists fell slightly. By contrast, tourists staying on the island fluctuated utill the end. However, the total number of tourists increased steadily utill 2017.

Visitors staying on island stood at about 0.8 million, while those staying on cruise ships was almost 1 million. The figures of tourists staying on the island rose steadily utill 2013 and remained stable at around 1.5 million till 2015 before dropping slight in 2016. In 2017, the number of tourists was at around 1.5 million.  In 2016, visitors staying on cruise ships overtook tourists on the island and stood at about 1.5 million and increased continuously utill the end at roughly 2million.

Regarding the total number of tourisits, in 2010, the figures stood at almost 1 million, the total number of tourist grew steadily until the end and peaked at around 3.5 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main features of the graph, including the trends for cruise ship visitors, island stayers, and the total number of tourists. You have successfully identified the key data points and made relevant comparisons, such as noting when cruise ship visitors overtook island stayers in 2016. However, the report could be improved by ensuring the data points are more precise. For example, stating 'about 0.8 million' in 2010 is a good start, but the description of the trends could be more analytical. You have clearly highlighted the overall trends, which is essential for a high score in Task 1. Ensure that all figures mentioned are clearly supported by the data provided in the graph to avoid minor inaccuracies.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is generally clear, and you use some cohesive devices like 'By contrast' and 'However' to link your points. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes repetitive or slightly mechanical. For instance, the word 'utill' (a misspelling of 'until') is used frequently, which disrupts the flow. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure helps the reader follow the information presented in the graph.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information, using terms like 'fluctuated', 'steadily', 'peaked', and 'overtook'. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'utill' (used multiple times), 'tourisits', and 'slight' (instead of 'slightly'). These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding the message. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more precise word choices and ensure correct spelling. Using a wider variety of synonyms for 'increased' or 'decreased' would also enhance the quality of your writing and demonstrate a more flexible control of vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'those staying on cruise ships was' (should be 'were') and 'dropping slight' (should be 'dropping slightly'). There are also issues with article usage and subject-verb agreement. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on proofreading for small errors like verb forms and adverbs. Incorporating a wider range of complex sentence structures, such as using relative clauses or participle phrases, would also help improve your grammatical range.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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