Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-14

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 tourists visiting the Caribbean island including those staying on cruise ships and on the island between 2010 and 2017.

Overall, it can be seen that the visitors staying on cruise ships initially recorded the highest number whereas the number of visitors staying on the island was relatively low and overtook the number of people staying on ships at the end of the period.

The number of visitors staying on ships followed an upward trend with almost 0.3 million visitors in 2010, increasing significantly to 0.5 million in 2011 before declining slightly to 0.3 and afterwards it went up steadily to 2 million at the end of the period, overtaking the number of visitors staying on the island between 2015 and 2016.

However, the figure showing the number of visitors staying on ships fluctuated throughout the period. At the beginning, it was 0.7 million, remained the same in the following year, rose substantially to 1.5 million in 2013, plateaued for the next two years. The number of visitors declined slightly to approximately 1.3 million before rising to 1.5 million at the end of the period.

The total figure showed an upward trend, rising from 1 million to 3.5 million by 2017.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student provides a clear overview and covers the main features of the graph, distinguishing between visitors staying on cruise ships, those staying on the island, and the total figure. An overview is present in the second paragraph. However, there is a notable contradiction and some confusion in the body paragraphs regarding which data category represents which trend. For instance, the third paragraph states that the visitors staying on ships increased to 2 million, while the fourth paragraph discusses the figure staying on ships again with completely different numbers (0.7 million rising to 1.5 million), indicating a mix-up in labeling the categories (visitors on the island versus visitors on ships). Despite this confusion, the main trends and comparisons are attempted throughout the text. Therefore, the response earns a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is structured into logical paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for the different data sets, concluding with a total figure summary. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader, such as 'Overall', 'The number of visitors', and 'However'. However, paragraphing and referencing become somewhat confusing due to the mix-up of categories between paragraphs 3 and 4, which affects the overall logical progression. Additionally, cohesive phrasing like 'At the beginning, it was 0.7 million' in paragraph 4 lacks a clear antecedent. Overall arrangement is generally coherent, placing this response at Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms related to data trends such as 'upward trend', 'increasing significantly', 'declining slightly', 'fluctuated', and 'plateaued'. There are some awkward phrasings or confusions, but the meaning is generally clear. Some repetition of basic structures ('The number of visitors') occurs, but less common vocabulary is attempted with reasonable success. This matches the Band 6.0 descriptor for lexical resource.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The line graph illustrates the number of tourists... and 'Overall, it can be seen that the visitors staying on cruise ships initially recorded the highest number...'. There are some grammatical and mechanical errors, such as missing prepositions or run-on structures (e.g., 'to 0.3 and afterwards it went up steadily...'), but these errors rarely impede overall communication. The majority of basic sentences are controlled well enough to secure a solid Band 6.0.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.