Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-04

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 describes the number of tourists visiting a particular Caribbean island between 2010 and 2017 with figures given. It showing the total number of visitors with those staying on the island and those staying on cruise ships.Overall the total number of tourists increased constantly over the period from 1 million in 2010 to 3.5 million in 2017. While the number of visitors staying on the island remained stable after 2013, the number of cruise-ship visitors increased slowly in the last years.

In 2010 approximately 1 million tourists visited the island. About .75 million stayed on the island, where only .25 million stayed on cruise ships. The total number then rise gradually to 1.5 million in 2012 before reaching 2 million in 2013. During this period the number of tourists staying on the island increased from .75 million to 1.5 millions. while cruise ship visitors fluctuate between .25 and .5 million.

From 2013 to 2015 the total number of tourists continued to grow up above 3 million. The figure for visitors staying on the island remained same at around 1.5 million. While cruise ship visitors rise steadily to 1.25 million. In 2016,the total remained about 3 million, although cruise ship tourists increased to 1.5 million. Finally in 2017 the total reached the highest level of 3.5 million with cruise ship visitors count rising to 2 million and island based tourists stay at 1.5 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all key features of the graph, including the total number of visitors and the breakdown between cruise ship and island-based tourists. You successfully identified the main trends, such as the overall growth and the divergence in the two categories after 2013. However, the report would be stronger if you had included a more distinct 'overview' paragraph that clearly highlights the most significant trends at the beginning. While you included an overview sentence, it was merged with the introduction. Additionally, ensure that all data points are accurate; for instance, stating the total reached 3.5 million in 2017 is correct, but ensure all intermediate figures are precise to avoid minor inaccuracies.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, moving from an introduction to a detailed body analysis. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'While', 'Although', and 'Finally', to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by mechanical phrasing and some repetitive sentence structures. For example, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, but some cohesive links feel slightly forced. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would help elevate the coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fluctuate', 'gradually', and 'steadily' appropriately. There are some minor errors in word choice and form, such as 'grow up' (which is informal and usually refers to people) instead of 'increase' or 'climb', and 'remained same' instead of 'remained the same'. While you successfully convey the information, the vocabulary is somewhat functional rather than sophisticated. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing when describing trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that, while they do not impede communication, are noticeable. These include subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'It showing' instead of 'It shows', 'total then rise' instead of 'total then rose') and punctuation errors, such as missing spaces after commas (e.g., '2016,the'). Additionally, there are inconsistencies in pluralization, such as '1.5 millions'. Focusing on proofreading for basic verb tense consistency and punctuation would significantly improve your score.

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