Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-05

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 number of people visiting a particular Caribbean island between 2010 and 2017.

Overall we can see that guest staying on cruise rose significantly over the period, while visitors staying on the island slightly fluctuated from 2010 to 2017.

At the beginning visitors staying on cruise ships were 0.25 million of visitors in 2010 ,and it then increased to 0.5 million visitors in 2011 before dropping to nearly 0.25 million in 2012. after that increased significantly throughout the year until, reaching to a peak of about 2 million in 2017.

visitors staying on the island, on the other hand, it started at about 0.75 million visitors , increased slightly between 2011 to 2012. after it began steadily from 2013 to 2015 at around 1.5 million visitors. it dropped to approximately 1.25 million visitors. It recovered and a peak of about 2 million visitors.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the graph, identifying the upward trends for both cruise and island visitors. However, the report is under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the task achievement score. While the key data points are mentioned, the analysis is somewhat mechanical and lacks a cohesive summary of the comparative trends. The final sentence regarding the island visitors is confusing and grammatically incomplete, failing to clearly report the final data point for 2017. To improve, ensure all data is clearly presented and the word count requirement is met to allow for a more thorough development of the main features.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and mechanical. Phrases like 'after that' and 'on the other hand' are used, but the transition between sentences is often abrupt. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly in the final paragraph where the subject of the sentences is omitted or confusingly phrased. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence clearly refers back to the subject would significantly enhance the flow and coherence of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher bands. You rely on basic verbs like 'increased' and 'dropped' repeatedly. While you successfully use terms like 'fluctuated' and 'peak', there is a lack of more sophisticated collocations or descriptive language to characterize the trends. Spelling is generally accurate, but the word choice in the final paragraph is imprecise, leading to a loss of clarity. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate a wider range of synonyms for movement and avoid repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'guest staying on cruise' should be plural, and 'it began steadily' is missing a verb or object to describe what was happening. There are also issues with sentence fragments and missing articles, such as 'a peak of about 2 million'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring every sentence has a clear, complete structure.

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

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