Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-30
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 illustrates the figure for visitors who visited a specific Caribbean island from 2010 to 2017.
Overall, the total number of visitors rose significantly over the period. Visitors staying on island showed a stabalized pattern along with marginal increment, while millions of the visitors stayed on cruise ships experienced an initial fluctuation followed by a gradual increase.
In 2010, a higher number of 0.75 million tourists stayed on island which remained stable for one year. In contrast, only 0.25 million visitors resided on the cruise ship in 2010 which rose to 0.5 million by 2011 before returning back to its initial figure in 2012. At the start of the year, the total number of visitors were 1 million which grew moderately to 1.5 million in 2012.
From 2013 to 2015, the figure for tourists staying on island levelled off to 1.5 million followed by a drop of 0.75 million in 2016, before recovering to its previous figure in 2017. By contrast, the visitors staying on cruise ships rose considerably from 0.5 million in 2013 to 1.75 million in 2015. Before 2016, the figures for visitors staying on cruise ships crossed the figures of visitors staying on island. The total number of visitors jumped to 2.5 million in 2014 and remained constant from 2015 to 2016 with 2.75 visitors, and at the end of the period the figure for total visitors surged to 3.5 million.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all key features of the graph, including the trends for both visitor categories and the total. You successfully identify the main trends and make relevant comparisons, such as noting when cruise ship visitors overtook those staying on the island. However, there are some inaccuracies in data reporting; for instance, you mention a 'drop of 0.75 million' in 2016 for island visitors, which is not clearly supported by the visual data. Additionally, the description of the total visitor figures is slightly confusing in the final paragraph. To improve, ensure that every figure cited is precisely aligned with the graph to avoid misinterpretation.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that group information by time periods. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'By contrast', and 'followed by' are used effectively to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is appropriate, and there is a clear progression of ideas. While the flow is generally good, some transitions between sentences could be smoother to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Overall, the information is presented in a coherent manner that is easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe trends, using terms like 'surged', 'levelled off', 'fluctuation', and 'marginal increment'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'stabalized pattern' (spelling error: stabilized) and 'returning back' (redundant). While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, some phrasing is slightly unnatural. To reach a higher band, focus on more precise collocations and ensure spelling is accurate throughout the text.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical slips, such as 'the total number of visitors were' (subject-verb agreement error: should be 'was') and 'crossed the figures of visitors' (awkward phrasing). Punctuation is generally handled well, but there are occasional errors in article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will help improve this score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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