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)

This graph presents the number of visitors to a specific Caribbean island from 2010 to 2017.

Overall, the total number of visitors increased throughout the given period. Despite this, the majority staying on land initially, this was surpassed by those ariving on cruise ships in the final two years.

The total number of tourists in 2010 was 1 million. This figure showed a steadily rise to reach approximately 2.75 million in 2015. It pleatued at this level in 2016 before experiencing its largest increase between 2016 and 2017 soaring dramatically to its peak of 3.5 million.

In 2010, most people stayed on land was around one-third million. This peaked in 2013 at 1.5 million and hovered around that level for the remainder of the period. The number opting to visit on cruises fluctuated between one-fourth and a half million. In 2014, there was a sudden increase in cruise visitors, a trend which continued year on year, reaching 1.6 million in 2016 and culminating at 2017, the highest of any category in any year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features, trends, and key comparisons across the categories provided in the graph. An overview is present, noting the general upward trend in total visitors and the shift between cruise and land-based tourism. Key data points are generally accurate, such as citing the total starting at 1 million in 2010 and reaching a peak of 3.5 million in 2017. However, there are some minor inaccuracies or slightly confusing expressions when reporting specific sub-category figures, such as stating 'most people stayed on land was around one-third million' in 2010 when the chart shows 0.75 million. Despite these minor numeric discrepancies, the overall response is well-structured and effectively fulfills the requirements of Task 1.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized logically into four paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by an overview, and then breaking down the specific details into body paragraphs. Progression is generally clear throughout the text. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Overall', 'Despite this', and 'In 2010'. However, some referencing and cohesive links are slightly awkward or mechanically forced, for instance, 'Despite this, the majority staying on land initially, this was surpassed by those ariving on cruise ships'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overall trends from specific categorical breakdowns, contributing to a coherent overall arrangement.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for this task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'surpassed', 'fluctuated', and 'soaring dramatically'. There are, however, several noticeable spelling and word-choice errors, including 'ariving' instead of 'arriving', 'pleatued' instead of 'plateaued', and 'steadily rise' instead of 'steady rise'. While these errors occasionally distract the reader, they do not completely impede communication. The use of phrases like 'highest of any category in any year' shows a reasonable attempt at comparison, but overall lexical control is inconsistent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses and prepositional phrases (e.g., 'Despite this, the majority staying on land initially, this was surpassed...'). However, grammatical control is somewhat unsteady, resulting in structural errors such as fragment sentences or missing verbs (e.g., 'the majority staying on land initially, this was surpassed'). Punctuation and tense usage are generally acceptable, but grammatical errors persist throughout the response, occasionally causing the reader to pause or re-read sentences. Nevertheless, meaning remains clear for the most part.

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