Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-03
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 provides the data about tourists who visited a specific Caribbean island from 2010 to 2017.
Overall, the total number of visitors increased every year but was an exceptional case in one period. At the beginning of the period, visitors staying on cruise ships showed plateaued behavior, then surpassed the visitors staying on the island after four years. By this, the total number of visitors showed inclined growth.
At the start of the period, total visitors were 1 million, in which the share of visitors on the cruise ship and visitors staying on the island were one-fourth and three-fourths of the total share, respectively. From 2011 to 2015, total visitors followed the upward trend, with about 2.75 million visitors at the end of 2015. Visitors staying on cruise ships firstly showed a slight drop from 0.5 to 0.25 million, but after 2012 the upward trend was seen in it and moved to about 1 million at the end of 2015. Visitors staying on the island, at the start, showed inclined growth but remained steady from 2013 to 2015.
After 2015, visitors on cruise ships surpassed the visitors on the island and jumped to 2 million at the end of the period, while 1.5 million for the island. By this change, total visitors showed abrupt growth from about 2.5 to 3.5 million at the end of the period.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response covers all requirements of the task. You have identified the main trends and made relevant comparisons between the two categories of visitors. The overview is clear and highlights the key shift in the data. However, some of the data reporting is slightly imprecise; for instance, describing the cruise ship visitor numbers as showing 'plateaued behavior' at the start is not entirely accurate based on the graph, which shows a decline. Additionally, the description of the total visitor numbers at the start (1 million) and the final figures could be more precise to ensure full accuracy. Overall, the response is well-structured and addresses the prompt effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that follow a chronological progression. You use cohesive devices such as 'At the start of the period', 'From 2011 to 2015', and 'After 2015' to guide the reader through the data. While the paragraphing is appropriate, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, such as 'By this, the total number of visitors showed inclined growth'. Improving the variety of linking phrases would enhance the flow. Referencing is generally clear, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'surpassed', 'upward trend', and 'abrupt growth'. However, there are some instances of awkward phrasing or word choice, such as 'plateaued behavior' and 'inclined growth', which are not standard collocations in this context. You attempt to use less common vocabulary, but precision is occasionally lacking. To reach a higher band, focus on using more natural collocations for describing graphs, such as 'experienced a steady decline' or 'showed a significant increase'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you successfully use complex sentences, there are recurring grammatical errors, such as 'total visitors were 1 million, in which the share of visitors... were one-fourth', where the relative clause construction is slightly clumsy. There are also minor errors in preposition use and article placement (e.g., 'the share of visitors on the cruise ship'). Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the grammar does not impede communication. Increasing the variety of error-free complex structures would improve this score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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