Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 trajectory of tourists visit across a particular Caribbean island over 7 years timeframe, spanning from 2010 to 2017.

Overall, it is immediately apparent that while the figure for total visitors and visitors stayed on cruise ships underwent an overall upward trend, throughout the surveyed period, the figure for visitors staying on island experienced fluctuations though, overall followed by marked decline.

Looking at the more closer details, in 2010, the figure for the total number of tourists commenced at 1 million individuals, which later soared dramatically to the range of 3.5 million visitors by the year of 2017. In sharp contrast, visitors stayed at cruise ships began initially at 0.2 million travellers in 2010 , which after acute fluctuations elevated to the level of 2 million ratio by the year of 2017.

Conversely, a disparate trend was observed in visitors stayed on island .Its initial value stood at 0.8 million travelers , remained consistent for one year . Subsequently, it rose by one million and ultimately to the level of 1.5 in 2017 which is overall less than others visitors.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear overview and reporting the key features and trends of the three data series depicted in the graph. The opening overview correctly identifies the overall upward trajectories for total visitors and cruise ship passengers alongside the fluctuating, downward-bending trend for visitors staying on the island. Key data points are cited accurately for the start and end years, such as the total rising from 1 million to 3.5 million, and cruise ship visitors climbing from 0.25 million to 2 million. Minor awkwardness in data reporting, such as describing a level as a 'ratio' or '2 million ratio', slightly detracts from precision, but overall the main features are well-selected and compared appropriately. This performance corresponds well to Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized logically into four paragraphs, featuring a clear introduction, an overall summary paragraph, and separate body paragraphs detailing the specific trends. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader through the data, utilizing transition markers such as 'Overall, it is immediately apparent', 'In sharp contrast', and 'Conversely'. However, paragraphing and referencing occasionally show slight mechanical constraints, such as the cramped phrasing in the overview ('experienced fluctuations though, overall followed by marked decline'). Paragraph transitions work adequately to maintain a clear logical progression throughout the text, securing a solid Band 6.5 to 7.0 range.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The writer demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for an academic task, attempting less common lexical items such as 'trajectory', 'soared dramatically', 'acute fluctuations', and 'disparate trend'. However, there are several word choice and collocation inaccuracies throughout the text, such as 'tourists visit' instead of 'visits' or 'visitation', 'visitors stayed on island' instead of 'staying on the island', and '2 million ratio'. Spelling is generally accurate, but these lexical slips and awkward collocations prevent the response from achieving a higher band, placing it firmly at Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'which later soared dramatically to the range of 3.5 million visitors by the year of 2017'). There are, however, several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as missing articles ('visitors stayed at cruise ships'), redundant or clunky prepositions, and punctuation errors around commas. Despite these recurring minor errors, they do not impede overall communication, and the writer demonstrates good control over basic tense forms. This aligns with the Band 6.0 descriptors.

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

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