Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 graphs illustrate the number of tourists in millions visiting a specific Caribbean island through 2010 to 2017.

Overall, the number of visitors staying on cruise ships declined initially and then followed a gradual increase by the end of the 2017 while visitors staying on island also experienced a steady rise through the years except for 2016. However, the total number of visitors kept rising throughout the period.

Regarding visitors staying on cruise ships, their number was lower in 2010 starting at 0.5 million which increased to 0.5 million in 2011 before returning to original 0.25. After 2012, this kept increasing steadily to 2 million by 2017.

However, the visitors staying on island showed a more fluctuating trend. Begining at .75 in 2010, it stayed consistent in 2011 and ascended to 1.25 in 2012. Afterwards, it plateued at 1.5 between 2013 to 2015 and descended back to 1.25 in 2016. The tourists eventually increased again in 2017 to 1.5 million. Conclusivly, the number of visistors staying on cruise ships was greater than those staying on island throughout the given period except at the middle of at 2015 and 2016 where the greater people stayed on island. Finally, the total number of visitors had gradual ascent starting from 1 million in 2010 to 3.5 in 2017.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main series and provide an overview, noting that total visitor numbers rose and that island stays dipped in 2016. Most figures and trends are reported accurately, including the total’s rise from 1 million to 3.5 million and the island-stay plateau from 2013 to 2015. However, the cruise-ship account misstates the starting figure: it was about 0.25 million in 2010, not 0.5 million. The overview also says cruise visitors “declined initially,” although the series fluctuated before rising overall. The final comparison is inaccurate: island visitors outnumbered cruise visitors in 2010, 2012 and 2013, not only in 2015 and 2016. More precise comparisons and a clearer summary of the overall patterns would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, separate discussion of the two accommodation groups, and a final reference to totals. This makes the information generally easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Regarding,” and “Afterwards” help signal the stages of the report. However, “However” is used repeatedly and does not always express a clear contrast, while “Conclusivly” introduces a comparison that would fit better alongside the relevant series. The final paragraph also combines a comparison with a summary of total visitors, making the progression slightly less controlled. Grouping the key comparisons more deliberately and using a wider range of accurate transitions would make the cohesion less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing trends, including “increased,” “ascended,” “plateaued,” “descended,” and “gradual ascent.” These choices help communicate changes across the period, and the meaning is generally clear. Some word choices and collocations are less natural or precise, however: “through 2010 to 2017” would be better expressed as “from 2010 to 2017,” and “the greater people stayed on island” is awkward. There are also spelling errors in “Begining,” “plateued,” “Conclusivly,” and “visistors.” Take care to use standard chart-reporting phrases and check spelling, especially for less familiar trend vocabulary. This would make the description more precise and polished.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “while,” “except for,” and “which,” and most of the message remains understandable. Some grammatical errors occur, but they rarely prevent the reader from following the trends. For example, “the number of visitors staying on cruise ships declined initially and then followed a gradual increase by the end of the 2017” has an awkward time expression and article use; “Begining at .75 in 2010, it stayed consistent” is a sentence fragment; and “between 2013 to 2015” uses an incorrect preposition pattern. The phrase “greater people stayed” also has a faulty comparative structure. Review sentence completeness, articles, and preposition patterns, then proofread punctuation and number expressions.

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