Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-07

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 illustrates the group of people visiting a specific Caribbean island from 2010 to 2017

Overall, The visitors staying on the cruise ship had a sharp increase from 2010 to 2017 whereas, the visitor staying on island has increased marginally but it started to decline after 2015. The total tourist visiting the Caribbean island increased splendidly.

The total visitors in 2010 were 1 million and it followed the increasing trend which was followed by a sharp incline in the visitors in 2016 so the total visitors in 2017 were 3.5 million.

The number of visitors staying on cruse ships were 0.25 million in 2010, then it increased to 0.5 million in 2011 and then it declined to again 0.25 million in 2012, after that the grpah followed the increasing trend of visitors staying on cruse ships so the total visitors in 2017 were 2 million. On the other hand the visitors staying on island started from 0.75 million in 2010 which started to increase from 2011 onwards. In 2015, they were 1.5 million and it started to decline to 1.25 million in 2016 and then it increased to 1.5 million again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main series and provide a clear overview: cruise-ship visitors rise substantially, island-staying visitors change less, and the total grows. Most figures you report match the graph, including the starting total and the 2017 figures. The overview is not fully precise, however: island visitors do not begin declining after 2015; they fall in 2016 and recover in 2017. The total also rises steadily overall, with a plateau in 2015–16, rather than showing a sharp incline specifically in 2016. The account includes relevant detail, but the total trend is less fully described than the two visitor categories. More exact comparisons and a clearer account of the stages would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about the total and then the two visitor groups. This gives the reader a coherent overall route through the information. However, some links are mechanical or unclear, particularly the repeated use of “then” and “after that” in the cruise-ship paragraph. The long sentence beginning “The total visitors in 2010…” combines several stages without clearly distinguishing the steady rise from the 2015–16 plateau. The contrast marker “On the other hand” is appropriate, but the paragraph would be easier to follow if each series were described in a more controlled sequence and comparisons were linked explicitly. Paragraphing is functional, though progression within paragraphs is uneven.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic vocabulary to communicate the main trends, including “increased,” “decline,” and “followed the increasing trend.” There are also attempts at more emphatic language, such as “sharp incline” and “increased splendidly,” but these are not always natural or precise for describing a graph. Repetition of “visitors” and “increased” limits flexibility, while spelling errors such as “cruse” and “grpah” reduce accuracy. Some phrases are also awkward, including “the group of people visiting” and “the total tourist visiting.” Aim for concise, conventional data-reporting language and vary trend verbs carefully. More accurate collocations would make the description clearer and more appropriately formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, and the main information is generally understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, especially with articles, singular and plural forms, and sentence boundaries. For example, “the visitor staying on island has increased” needs a plural subject and a more suitable construction, while “the total visitors in 2010 were 1 million” has a mismatch between “total” and “visitors.” Capitalisation after the overview’s comma is also incorrect in “whereas, the visitor…”. Several long sentences joined by “then” and “so” would benefit from clearer punctuation or separation. These issues do not usually prevent the reader from understanding the trends, but more consistent control of agreement and sentence structure is needed.

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