Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-31

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 number of tourists who visit specific Caribbean island from 2010 to 2017.

Overall, total category was trending upward from 2010 to 2017 while visitors staying on island category started second in 2010, however, it collapsed in last years and was at the last in all categories.

At the first glance, it can be seen that "total" category started with 1 million and continued upward trend untill 2015 after that it stayed constant for 1 year and then upsurged in 2017. Whereas, the "visitor staying on island" category started second in graph around 0.75 million, plateaued for 1 year and then hiked untill 2013 then it stayed constant between 2013 to 2015 and fluctuated towards 2017.The visitors staying on cruise ships started with lowest number of visitors, fluctuated unitll 2013 then move upward untill 2016, from there it got major rise and cross the visitors staying on island category and secure second position in the graph.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall rise in total visitors and describe the broad movement of each group, including the cruise-ship visitors overtaking island-stayers by 2017. Several details, however, are inaccurate or unclear. The island-staying figure did not “collapse”: it rose from about 0.75 million to 1.5 million, then dipped slightly to 1.25 million before ending at 1.5 million. The total also levelled off in 2015–16, rather than only for one year. Your overview says island visitors were “at the last in all categories,” which conflicts with the data and with your later account. To make the report more complete, state the final totals and clarify that cruise-ship numbers rose markedly while island-stayer numbers were comparatively stable after 2013.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph describing the trends. The sequence from total visitors to island-stayers and cruise-ship visitors is generally easy to follow, and “Whereas” helps signal a comparison. However, the overview’s claim that island visitors “were at the last in all categories” makes the progression confusing, especially because the final sentence correctly says cruise-ship visitors overtook them. Some linking is also mechanical, with repeated “then” and “from there,” and the long final paragraph combines several trends without clear separation. Use a distinct overview of the main contrasts, then group the detailed figures by category and use precise references such as “by 2017” to make comparisons clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of trend vocabulary, including “plateaued,” “fluctuated,” “upward trend,” and “constant,” which helps describe changes. Some less common choices are not accurate or natural in context: “collapsed” exaggerates the small decline in island-stayers, while “upsurged,” “hiked,” and “secure second position” are awkward collocations. There are also spelling errors such as “untill” and “unitll,” and the repeated use of “category” is imprecise when referring to visitor groups. Choose vocabulary that matches the scale and direction of the data, and use standard expressions such as “rose sharply,” “remained stable,” and “ranked second.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses linked with “while” and “after that,” and the main trends are usually understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with articles, sentence structure, and punctuation. For example, “illustrates number of tourists” needs an article, and “visitors staying on island category” is an awkward noun phrase that obscures the relationship between the group and its figures. The sentence beginning “At the first glance” runs through several stages with limited punctuation, while “from there it got major rise” lacks a clear grammatical structure. Use complete, controlled sentences, check articles and subject–verb patterns, and punctuate comparisons so that each trend is easy to read.

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