Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-19

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 how the number of tourists on a specific Caribbean island is changed from 2010 to 2017.

Overall, it can be seen that the total number of visitors increased throughout the period and reached its peak in 2017. The visitors who stayed on cruise ships and who stayed on island went through fluctuations over the period. It can be noted that the cruise ship visitors were less than island visitors in the beginning but became higher in the end of the period.

Looking at the details, in 2010, the number of visitors who stayed on island was about 0.3 millions, after that, there was a slight increase of 0.5 millions in 2011. It experienced a little decline again in 2012, then went on increasing throughout the period and reached 2 millions in 2017.

In contrast, the visitors who stayed on island were 0.7 millions in 2010 which were more than cruise ship visitors. This number remained stable over 2011, then rose sharply to 1.5 millions in 2013 and again remained constant to the end of the period except a slight decrease in 2016. Interestingly, the total number of visitors saw an increase over the period of 7 years, as it was 1 million in 2010 and became 3.5 milllions in 2017.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You provide a relevant overview, identifying the overall rise in total visitors and the change from cruise-ship visitors being fewer than island visitors to exceeding them by 2017. You also include useful figures for the total and island-staying visitors. However, the cruise-ship figures are misreported in the detailed paragraph: the account beginning “in 2010” describes cruise-ship visitors, but gives 0.3 million rather than about 0.25 million and says they rose to 2 million in 2017 without clearly identifying the series. More importantly, the island-staying figures are then described as rising to 1.5 million in 2013 and remaining broadly stable, which is accurate, but the overview’s claim that both groups fluctuated is too general. Make the series labels and key comparisons explicit throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs, with a contrastive transition in “In contrast.” This gives the reader a broad route through the information. However, progression is weakened because the first detail paragraph does not name the series it describes, and the next paragraph begins “In contrast” before repeating the island-staying series. This makes the comparison and references difficult to follow. The overview also says both groups “went through fluctuations,” which is not a precise guide to the later details. Organise the body by clearly labelled series or compare both series across the same years, and use transitions only where they accurately signal the relationship between points.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “increased,” “remained stable,” “rose sharply,” “decline” and “reached its peak.” These choices help communicate the main trends, and the meaning is generally clear. Some wording is imprecise or repetitive: “the number of tourists on a specific Caribbean island is changed” is an awkward way to introduce a historical graph, while “visitors who stayed on island” is repeated and lacks a natural article. “A little decline” and “a slight increase of” are also less precise than standard trend descriptions. There is a spelling slip in “milllions.” Aim for accurate collocations and consistent labels such as “cruise-ship visitors” and “visitors staying on the island,” rather than relying on repeated generic phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex forms, including a relative clause in “visitors who stayed on cruise ships” and a contrastive sentence beginning “In contrast.” Most sentences remain understandable, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. The opening uses the present form “is changed” for a period in the past; use “changed” or “changed over the period.” In “0.3 millions” and “0.7 millions,” a decimal quantity takes the singular “million.” The phrase “remained stable over 2011” needs a more suitable time expression, such as “in 2011.” There are also awkward constructions such as “an increase of 0.5 millions,” where the intended value or change is unclear. Check tense, number agreement and sentence phrasing while retaining your varied sentence forms.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.