Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-29

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 number of visitors who visited the Caribbean island from 2010 to 2017.

It can be seen from the line graph that visitors staying on cruise ships marked the same number in 2010 and 2012, which was 0.3 million. Then, it rose steadily. In the final year, it reached 2 million. Visitors staying on island followed a fluctuating trend. Between 2010 and 2011, it remained constant and then decreased slightly and again went up. In 2017, it welcomed 1.5 million tourists.

Turning to the total number of visitors, in the beginning period of around two years, it marginally grew up from 1 to 1.5 million. After that, again it increased significantly, and in two years it increased 1 million visitors. But between 2015 and 2016, it remained constant. Later on, it sharply rose and reached 3.5 million in the final year.

Overall, the figure followed an upward trend. The cruise ships were the most popular for accommodation purpose compared to staying on island.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student covers all parts of the task by reporting the main trends and making relevant comparisons across the categories. The overview accurately captures the general upward trend, although the final sentence contains an inaccurate conclusion regarding popularity, stating that 'cruise ships were the most popular for accommodation purpose compared to staying on island,' which contradicts the data since island stayers and cruise visitors fluctuated and total numbers combined show different patterns. Most data points are accurately reported, such as cruise visitors starting at 0.3 million and reaching 2 million, and the total reaching 3.5 million. However, the minor misinterpretation in the overview prevents a higher score. Overall, the response is well-structured and clearly addresses the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with an introductory statement, followed by separate body paragraphs for cruise/island visitors and the total figures, and concludes with an overview. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different data series. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader through the data, such as 'Turning to the total number of visitors,' 'Then, it rose steadily,' and 'Later on.' However, referencing and transitions can occasionally feel slightly mechanical, such as 'In the beginning period of around two years,' which pulls the score to a solid Band 6.5 or 7. Overall, the text is easy to follow and coherent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a Task 1 response, incorporating terms such as 'fluctuating trend,' 'remained constant,' 'decreased slightly,' and 'sharply rose.' There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, but word choice is occasionally awkward, such as 'marginally grew up' instead of 'grew marginally' or 'increased slightly,' and 'accommodation purpose' instead of 'accommodation purposes' or simply accommodation types. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate more precise collocations and a wider variety of synonyms to describe data movement.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using relative clauses and introductory prepositional phrases effectively, such as 'The line graph illustrates the number of visitors who visited the Caribbean island...' and 'Between 2010 and 2011, it remained constant...'. There are some minor awkward phrasings and grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'marked the same number' (instead of 'remained at the same level') and 'it increased 1 million visitors' (missing a preposition like 'by'). Nevertheless, errors are relatively infrequent and do not impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the data effortlessly. Control of simple structures is strong, and punctuation is generally correct.

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

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