Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-27
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 information about number of tourists (in million) visiting a particular Caribbean island between 2010 and 2017.
Overall, total number of visitors increased, while visitors who stayed on the island fluctuated in given period of time. The ratio of visitors who preferred to stay on the ship increase at the beginning, however declined in the next year. Nevertheless, soared in the next years and gave the most numbers of participants.
In between 2010 and 2012, the total number of visitors increase steadily from 1 million to 1.5, however rose sharply 2.5 million in 2014. Whereas, stayed stable at approximately 2.75 between 2015 and 2016. In between 2016 and 2017, jumped at 3.5 million.
The number of visitors who stayed on the ship sharply jumped between 2010 and 2011 and reached 0.5 million people, conversely the ratio of visitors who stayed on the island stay stable approximately 0.75 million same period of time. In the next year the ratio of island visitors rose steadily till 2013, whereas, cruise ship visitors faced decline till 2012. However, cruise ship ratio significantly rose till 2017 and reached 2 million, meanwhile island ratio fluctuated, stayed stable till 2015 with 1.5 million visitors but decline till 2016 and then again reached 1.5 million.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers the main features of the graph, including the total number of visitors and the breakdown between cruise ship and island stayers. You have successfully identified the overall upward trend and the key fluctuations. However, the report is slightly hampered by imprecise data reporting; for example, stating 'rose sharply 2.5 million' is missing a preposition, and the description of the trends is sometimes confusing due to the misuse of the word 'ratio' when referring to absolute numbers. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are clearly linked to the correct category and avoid using 'ratio' unless you are specifically discussing percentages or proportions.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'however', 'whereas', and 'conversely' to signal contrasts. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by mechanical phrasing and some awkward transitions between sentences. For instance, the transition 'Nevertheless, soared in the next years' lacks a clear subject, making the sentence difficult to follow. Improving the use of referencing (e.g., using 'the former' or 'the latter') would help create a smoother progression of ideas between the two categories of visitors.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fluctuated', 'steadily', and 'sharply'. However, there are noticeable errors in word choice, particularly the repeated misuse of 'ratio' to describe visitor numbers, which are absolute figures, not proportions. Additionally, there are some awkward collocations, such as 'gave the most numbers of participants'. While these errors do not impede communication, they limit the precision of your report. To improve, focus on using vocabulary that accurately reflects the data types (e.g., 'figures', 'totals', 'quantities') and ensure collocations are natural.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt to use complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('the number of', 'the island'), missing prepositions ('rose sharply to 2.5 million'), and subject-verb agreement issues ('total number of visitors increase'). Some sentences are fragmented or lack a clear subject, which affects the overall accuracy. While these errors rarely prevent the reader from understanding the intended meaning, they are frequent enough to keep the score in the 6.0 range. Focusing on proofreading for basic articles and verb tenses would significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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