Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-18
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 graph presents the number of tourists in millions who visited a Carribean Island from 2010 to 2017. The total number of visitors is further split into those staying on cruise ships and on the island.
The number of tourists followed a regular increase from 2010 to 2015 with a flat line observed in year 2016 as the visitors did not increase. However, the graph shows most growth than ever in the last 6 years for 2017 as the tourists reach the maximum number of 3.5 million.
Moreover, the visitors considered staying on island more worthwhile than on the cruise ship initially. But as the years progressed the appeal for the cruise ship increased and eventually surpassing the numbers of stay on island between 2015 and 2016 reaching to 2 million in 2017. Contrastingly, the number of visitors stay on island reached only to its best of 1.5 million in year 2017.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The student successfully covers all main features of the chart, including the overall upward trend, the data for visitors staying on cruise ships, visitors staying on the island, and the combined total. An appropriate overview is provided in the introductory and body paragraphs, noting that total numbers grew significantly to reach 3.5 million by 2017. Key comparisons are made between the two types of accommodation, correctly identifying that island stays were initially more popular before being surpassed by cruise ship visitors. The data points cited, such as the peak of 3.5 million for total visitors and 1.5 million for island stays in 2017, accurately reflect the visual prompt. The response meets all core requirements for Task 1 achievement, earning a solid band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The text is logically organised with a clear introduction, body paragraphs dealing with overall trends and specific categories, and an appropriate progression of ideas from 2010 to 2017. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'However', and 'Contrastingly' are used to connect ideas, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical or could be integrated more smoothly. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overall trend from the category breakdowns. Referencing is generally clear, though minor improvements in lexical chaining between sentences would enhance the overall flow and elevate the cohesion to a higher band.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully employing terms like 'visitors', 'accommodation categories', 'regular increase', and 'maximum number'. There are some successful attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'surpassing' and 'contrastingly'. However, there are minor lexical inaccuracies and spelling errors, such as 'Carribean' (Caribbean) and awkward phrasing like 'most growth than ever' instead of 'the most significant growth'. Despite these occasional errors in word choice and collocation, meaning is communicated clearly throughout the response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses introduced by 'as' and 'while'. There are several error-free sentences demonstrating good control over tense usage, particularly past tenses for historical data. However, a few grammatical errors are present, such as missing articles ('staying on island' instead of 'staying on the island') and awkward verb forms like 'visitors stay on island' instead of 'visitors staying on the island'. Punctuation is generally sound, and these errors do not impede communication, placing the response comfortably in the Band 6.0 range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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