Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-26

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 6.5)

The line graph illustrate the amount of tourist visiting Caribbean island between 2010 and 2017, categorized by accomodation type either in cruise ship or staying in the island and overall total measured in millions.

Overall, the arrival of tourists grew significantly over the seven year period. While visitors staying on island initially surpassed those staying on cruise ship, a sharp increase led them becoming the main group of visitors by the end of the period.

In 2010, the total number of visitors stood at 1 million, with 0.75 million of visitors staying on island and approximately 0.25 million of visitors staying on cruise ships. The number of island staying visitors increased steadily to reach a peak of 1.5 million in 2013. After hovering around this level until 2015, this figure declined slightly to 1.25 million in 2016 and before recovering back to 1.5 million in the end of the period.

Conversely, the number of visitors staying on cruise ship experienced a overall dramatic rise. Despite a slight dip to under 0.25 million in 2012, cruise passengers grew shaprly thereafter, overtaking island staying tourists in 2016 at around 1.5 million. By 2017, cruise ship passengers had reached 2 million. Driven by growth in both categories the total number pf visitors rose up to triple over the timeframe, rising from 1 million to 3.5 million in 2017

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear overview and reporting the main features of the chart accurately. Key trends, such as the overall rise in tourist numbers, the fluctuations in island-staying visitors, and the steady, dramatic growth in cruise ship passengers, are properly identified and compared. Data points like the peak in 2013 and the final figures for 2017 are correctly cited from the graph. However, there is a minor misinterpretation regarding the crossing point, as cruise passengers overtook island visitors in 2017 rather than 2016, but this does not detract significantly from the strong general coverage. The overview is well-crafted, and the selection of data is relevant and comprehensive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear logical progression and is organized into four appropriate paragraphs, moving from an introduction to an overall summary and then detailed body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used effectively to guide the reader through the data, such as 'Overall', 'In 2010', and 'Conversely'. Paragraphing is handled logically, separating the introduction/overview from the specific data breakdown. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional minor slip-ups in clause linking (such as missing prepositions like 'in' before 'the end of the period') slightly disrupt the flow, keeping this at a solid band 7 level.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response, employing terms like 'categorized', 'fluctuating', 'surpassed', and 'dramatic rise'. There are attempts to use less common phrasing such as 'island staying visitors' and 'cruise passengers'. However, there are some minor word-choice and spelling errors, such as 'accomodation' (accommodation), 'illustrate' instead of 'illustrates', and 'shaprly' instead of 'sharply'. Despite these occasional lexical and spelling inaccuracies, communication is never impeded, and the vocabulary remains adequate for clear reporting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer utilizes a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'Driven by growth in both categories...'). There are frequent error-free sentences, demonstrating good general control of grammar. However, a few grammatical errors persist throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement ('The line graph illustrate'), missing articles ('staying in cruise ship'), and awkward phrasing ('led them becoming'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, though a few missing commas and run-on structures (e.g., '1.25 million in 2016 and before recovering') prevent the grammar score from reaching higher bands.

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.