Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-24

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 shows the number of tourists who visited a Caribbean island from 2010 to 2017. It gives information about tourists staying on the island, tourists staying on cruise ships, and the total number of visitors.

Overall, the total number of tourists increased during the period. The number of tourists staying on the island also increased, while the number staying on cruise ships had some changes but rose strongly at the end.

In 2010, there were about 1 million tourists in total. Around 0.75 million stayed on the island, while only 0.25 million stayed on cruise ships. In 2011, the number staying on the island stayed the same, but cruise-ship visitors increased to 0.5 million. In 2012, cruise visitors decreased to 0.25 million, while island visitors increased to 1.25 million.

From 2013 to 2015, the number of tourists staying on the island was about 1.5 million. However, it fell to around 1.25 million in 2016 and went back to 1.5 million in 2017. Cruise-ship visitors increased to 2 million in 2017. As a result, the total number reached 3.5 million in the final year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task well. You have identified the main trends for all three categories and provided a clear overview. The data is accurately reported, and you have made relevant comparisons between the categories, such as noting the total figures in 2010 and 2017. To reach a higher band, ensure that you highlight the most significant features more explicitly in the overview, such as the fact that cruise ship visitors experienced the most dramatic growth compared to the more stable island-staying visitors. Overall, the information is well-selected and supports the summary effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus: the introduction, the overview, and the detailed body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In 2010', 'From 2013 to 2015', and 'As a result' to guide the reader through the data. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall clarity of the report. To improve, you could vary your linking phrases slightly more to avoid a repetitive structure at the start of your sentences, which would make the flow feel more natural and sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'increased', 'decreased', 'fell', and 'rose strongly'. The language is precise enough to convey the trends accurately. However, the vocabulary is somewhat functional and repetitive. To achieve a higher band, try to incorporate a wider variety of synonyms and more precise collocations to describe trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained steady', or 'witnessed a significant surge'. This would demonstrate a more flexible and sophisticated control of lexical resources.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are clear and error-free, which ensures that communication is never impeded. You have used past tense consistently and correctly to describe the historical data. While the grammar is generally accurate, the range of complex structures is somewhat limited. To improve, try to incorporate more varied sentence patterns, such as using participle clauses or relative clauses to combine information more fluidly. For example, instead of two separate sentences, you could use 'While island visitors remained stable, cruise ship numbers saw a significant increase.'

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.