Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-19
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 about the amount of tourists visiting a Caribbean island from 2010 to 2017. Units are measured in millions.
Overall, it is clear that the total number of visitors was recored highest in the final year, while initial year had the lowest. The number of visitors preferred to stay on island as compared to cruise ships. There was an upward trend in Total figure over the period.
In 2010, the large amount of visitors visited island as compared to cruise ships and at that time the total count was 1 million. In the upcoming years, this count increased sharply from 2011 to 2015 with a data around 2.5 million. The figure of island rose significantly from 2011 to 2013 with the number of 1.5 million, after that it remained stable during the period of 2013 to 2015. In the next year, it fell to around 1.3 million, and then the figure peaked at 1.5 million in 2017.
In the inital years, the figure of cruise ships showed fluctuations and then climbed rapidly between the period of 2012 to 2015 with the data around 1.3 million. In the end year, the figure reached a high of 2 million.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features, trends, and comparisons of tourist numbers between 2010 and 2017. The overview paragraph accurately captures the overall upward trend and highlights that visitors preferred staying on the island compared to cruise ships for the majority of the period, though cruise ships saw massive growth by 2017. Key data points, such as the total reaching 3.5 million and cruise ships reaching 2 million, are correctly reported. The ideas are clearly selected and presented, satisfying the requirements for Band 6.5 to 7.0. However, minor over-generalizations or slight inaccuracies in detail descriptions prevent a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized with a clear four-paragraph structure comprising an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the specific categories. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In 2010', 'In the upcoming years', and 'In the inital years' are used to guide the reader through the data, demonstrating a coherent overall arrangement. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different data series. While some transitions feel slightly mechanical ('In the next year', 'In the end year'), the progression of ideas is generally clear and easy to follow, supporting a solid Band 6.5 or 7.0 score.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for an academic task, including terms like 'upward trend', 'fluctuations', 'remained stable', and 'rose significantly'. However, there are notable word choice and preposition errors, such as 'illustrates about' (unnecessary preposition) and 'recored' (spelling error for 'recorded'), as well as awkward phrasing like 'the large amount of visitors visited island'. Less common lexical items are attempted but occasionally lack precision or natural collocation. These errors do not impede communication but restrict the score to a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over tense usage and sentence structure (e.g., 'The figure of island rose significantly from 2011 to 2013 with the number of 1.5 million, after that it remained stable...'). There are, however, several grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing articles ('visited island', 'in end year'), spelling/typographical slips ('inital'), and run-on structures or comma splices. Despite these flaws, the meaning remains clear and communication is not impeded, fitting comfortably into the Band 6.0 descriptor.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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