Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-08

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 chart presents the tourists arrival in a Caribbean island from 2010 to 2017.

Overall, the total number of visitors gradually increased from 2010 to 2017. Initially the number of tourists staying on island was higher but after 2015 these were outnumbered by the number of tourists staying on cruise ships.

In 2010, the total number of visitors arriving in the Caribbean island were around 1 million. These started increasing and continued to do so till 2015 and stayed at same level of around 2.7 million till 2016 before peaking in 2017 at around 3.5 million.

The number of visitors staying in island and on cruise ships were around 0.7 million and 0.3 million respectively in 2010. The number of visitors staying on island continued to increase till 2013 to around 1.5 million then stayed same for three year before dipping in 2016 and then again returned to same level in 2017. While the tourists staying on ships first increased to 0.5 million and then dropped again in 2012 to around same level as in 2011. After that they continued to increase and surpassed the visitors staying on land between 2015 and 2016 and peaked in 2017 at around 2 miilion.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You identify the main overall pattern accurately: total visitor numbers rise from about 1 million to 3.5 million, while island-based visitors are initially more numerous and cruise-ship visitors eventually overtake them. The account also selects relevant details, including the total’s pause in 2015–16 and the island figure’s later dip and recovery. Most reported values and trends match the chart. One point could be more precise: the crossover occurs between 2016 and 2017, rather than “between 2015 and 2016”; in 2016, island visitors still slightly outnumber cruise passengers. The overview is clear, but could better foreground the contrasting pattern of steady cruise growth versus the relative stability of island stays after 2013.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is organised into a clear introduction, overview and two detail paragraphs, and the progression from total figures to the two visitor categories is easy to follow. Time markers such as “Initially,” “In 2010,” “After that” and “in 2017” help guide the reader. This coherent structure is a strength. However, some linking is mechanical or unclear, particularly the long final sentence beginning “While the tourists staying on ships…”; its relationship to the preceding island trend is not fully signposted. “These” in “These started increasing” also has an imprecise reference. To make the progression more fluent, use clearer comparisons between the two categories and divide the final sentence into shorter, logically connected statements.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “gradually increased,” “stayed at same level,” “dipping,” “surpassed” and “peaked,” which communicates the main trends. There are also some imprecise or unnatural choices: “tourists arrival” is not a natural phrase, and “staying on land” is less precise than the chart’s category of visitors staying on the island. “Returned to same level” and repeated uses of “number of visitors” could also be expressed more naturally or varied. The spelling slip “miilion” is noticeable, though the intended meaning remains clear. Aim for accurate collocations and consistent labels for the two groups, rather than relying on general terms such as “ships” and “land.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a contrastive overview and clauses describing changes over time. Meaning is generally clear, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “the total number … were” has subject–verb disagreement, while “staying on island” and “staying in island” need an article and a more suitable preposition. In “stayed at same level,” the article is also missing. The long sentence beginning “While the tourists staying on ships…” is structurally awkward and would be clearer as a complete sentence with a direct subject and verb. Check agreement, articles and sentence boundaries during revision, and use a wider range of accurately controlled comparisons to improve grammatical flexibility.

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