Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-06

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 given line graph illustrates the information about the visitors who visiting one Caribbean island from 2010 to 2017.

Overall, all categories of tourists showed an upward trend with some fluctuation, although the rates of increase differed.

Total number of tourists who visited Caribean island were 1 million in 2010, which grew significantly and reached around 2.7 million in 2015. For one year period that figure remained stable but after 2016 the number rose rapidly and stayed at 3.5 milion in 2017.

In 2010 visitors who stayed on cruise ship were 0.25 million. This figure rose from 0.25 million in 2010 to 2 million in 2017 with some fluctuation. The number for tourists who stayed on island were approximately 0.75 million, which levelled off for one year period in 2011. Than after the visitors climed steadily till 2015 with 1.5 million. In 2016 this number fell slightly and again reached 1.5 million in 2017.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You covered the total number of visitors as well as the two specific categories (cruise ship and island stay). However, the report could be improved by making more direct comparisons between the two categories at specific points in time, rather than just describing them in isolation. For example, noting that cruise ship visitors overtook island stay visitors around 2013 would have strengthened the analysis. The data points are generally accurate, and the key features are well-selected, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7.0 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices like 'Overall', 'In 2010', and 'after 2016', which help the flow. However, the transition between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing (e.g., 'Than after the visitors climed'). The paragraphing is appropriate, but the progression of ideas could be smoother if you used a wider variety of linking words to connect the trends of the two categories more effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the trends, such as 'upward trend', 'fluctuation', 'grew significantly', and 'levelled off'. There are some spelling errors, such as 'Caribean' and 'milion', and minor word choice issues like 'who visiting' instead of 'who visited'. While you demonstrate an adequate range for the task, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'increase' or 'decrease' and ensure greater precision in your terminology.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'Total number of tourists... were 1 million' (subject-verb agreement error), 'For one year period' (missing article), and 'Than after the visitors climed' (spelling and usage error). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the information, they are frequent enough to impact the overall accuracy. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will help improve your score in this criterion.

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

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