Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-25

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 how many people visited a Caribbean island in the years 2010 and 2017.

Overall, the total number of visitors experienced an upward trend throughout the period, while the number of visitors staying on the island showed a downward trend at the start and end of the period. Although visitors staying on the cruise ships initially had a lower rate, it outpaced island visitors at the end of the period.

The rate of tourists who stayed on the island remained stable at around 0.7 million from 2010 to 2011. Then it rose to almost 1.3 million in 2012, which showed a gradual increase to 1.5 million in 2013 and remained stable till 2015. However, it gradually decreased to roughly 1.4 million in 2016, before maintaining its position again in 2017.

From 2010 to 2011, visitors staying on cruise ships slightly increased by around 0.3 to 0.5 million, before falling in 2012. After 2013, it started increasing sharply from 0.5 to 2 million visitors in 2017. Whereas the total number of tourists grew dramatically from 1 million to 3.5 million by the end of the period, 2017.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You covered both categories (island visitors and cruise ship visitors) and the total, making relevant comparisons. However, there are some inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, you mention the cruise ship visitors increased from 0.3 to 0.5 million between 2010 and 2011, but the graph shows the starting point is 0.5 million. Additionally, stating the total number grew to 3.5 million by 2017 is slightly inaccurate as the graph shows it reaching 3.5 million. Ensure your data extraction is precise to reach higher bands.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on specific categories. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'However', and 'Whereas' effectively to link ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different trends. To improve, ensure that the transition between sentences is even smoother and avoid repetitive sentence structures when describing the trends.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information clearly. Phrases like 'upward trend', 'downward trend', 'outpaced', and 'remained stable' are used appropriately in the context of describing a graph. There is some minor repetition of the word 'rate' and 'number', which could be improved by using synonyms like 'figures', 'proportions', or 'volume'. Overall, the vocabulary is accurate and fits the task requirements well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the use of subordinate clauses starting with 'Although' and 'Whereas'. Most of your sentences are error-free, and your control of grammar is generally good. There are a few minor issues, such as 'maintaining its position again', which is slightly unnatural in this context. However, these errors do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures with more consistent accuracy.

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

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