Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-11

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 7.0)

The line graph presents the number of visitors to a specific Caribbean island from the year 2010 and 2017.

Overall, the total number of visitors increased throughout the given period. Despite the majority staying on land initially, this was surpassed by those arriving on cruise lines in the final two years.

The total number of visiting the island in 2010 was 1 million. This figure witnessed a steady annual rise to reach approximately 2.75 million in 2015.It plateaued at this level in 2016 before experiencing its largest increase between 2016 and 2017, soaring dramatically to its peak of 3.5 million.

In 2010, most resided on the island, with around 3/4 of million remaining on land. this peaked in 2013 at 1.5 million and hovered around that level for the remainder of the period. The number opting to visit on cruises fluctuated between a 1/4 and 1/2 a million between 2010 and 2013. In 2014, there was a sharp escalation in cruise visitors, a trend which continued year on year, reaching 1.5 million in 2016, and culmination at 2 million in 2017, the highest of any category in any year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response selects the main features effectively: the overall total rises, island-based visitors level off after reaching about 1.5 million, and cruise-ship visitors grow strongly and overtake them near the end. The overview is clear, and the figures cited are generally accurate, including the total’s plateau in 2016 and its rise to 3.5 million in 2017. This meets the task well, with relevant comparisons and supporting detail. One point could be made more precisely: cruise visitors exceed island visitors only in 2017, not in both final years, since the figures are equal at 1.5 million in 2016. Also, “steady annual rise” slightly smooths over the uneven early increases. More exact phrasing of these comparisons would strengthen an otherwise well-focused summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information is organised in a clear progression: an introduction and overview are followed by details about the total and then the two visitor categories. This makes the main trends easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “before,” and “In 2014” help signal relationships between events. The paragraphing is appropriate and the response remains focused on the graph. Some connections could be more precise, however. The overview says cruise visitors surpassed island visitors “in the final two years,” although they only did so in 2017; this weakens the accuracy of the comparison and its cohesion with the later figures. A few transitions between the total and category descriptions feel abrupt. Use clearer comparison links, such as “By contrast” or “Meanwhile,” and ensure each reference matches the data.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

There is a useful range of vocabulary for describing trends, including “plateaued,” “hovered,” “fluctuated,” “sharp escalation,” and “soaring dramatically.” These choices help distinguish stable periods from rapid growth, and the meaning remains clear throughout. The response also uses relevant terms such as “total” and “cruise visitors.” However, some less common expressions are not fully natural or precise: “visiting the island” is awkward in “the total number of visiting the island,” while “resided on the island” suggests permanent residence rather than tourist accommodation. “Cruise lines” refers to companies, not the ships or visitors, and “culmination at” is an inaccurate collocation. More consistent, precise tourism vocabulary would show stronger control of collocation and style.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex structures, including a contrast clause beginning “Despite” and a sequence describing the total’s rise, plateau, and final increase. Most sentences communicate the intended trends clearly. Some grammatical and punctuation errors remain, which is consistent with this level of control. For example, “from the year 2010 and 2017” uses the wrong preposition and omits “to”; “the total number of visiting the island” has an incomplete noun phrase; and “this peaked” begins a sentence without a capital letter. There is also no space after the full stop in “2015.It.” Review sentence boundaries, articles and noun-phrase structure, and check punctuation carefully. These corrections would make the varied sentence forms more consistently accurate.

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