Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-11-02

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 line graph gives information about how many visitors (staying on cruise ships, on land and total) visited Caribbean island from 2010 to 2017. Number of tousists is represented in millions.

Overall, the total number of tourists increased over the years. However, tourists staying on cruise ships keeps on fluctuating during the relevent years and has the lowest numer among all. Moreover there is a gradual increase in the visitors on island during this period.

The number of visitors staying on cruise ships was around 0.25 millions which increased to 0.5 millions during [redacted phone]. After that, ther is a decline in the graph to the initial stage in 2012. However, it made a progress and reachedat 2 million tourists in 2017. In 2010, number of visitors staying on island was 0.75 million which remained the same in 2011. This number increased to 1.5 million til 2013. However, it was stuck there till 2015 which is followed by a drop to about 1.25 million in 2016. It was successful in recovering this number in 2017.

The total number of visitors was 1 million in 2010 which keep on making progress to about 2.7 million till 2015. There was a slight drop in this graph in 2016. After that, there is a rapid increase in this till 3.5 million in 2017.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You cover the main features and provide a clear overview: total visitor numbers rose overall, cruise-ship visitors increased substantially despite early fluctuation, and island-staying visitors changed more gradually. The body includes relevant comparisons and figures, such as the island figure remaining at 1.5 million from 2013 to 2015 and recovering to that level in 2017. Most reported values match the chart. One notable inaccuracy is saying cruise-ship visitors “has the lowest number among all”; by 2017 this group reaches 2 million, exceeding the 1.5 million staying on the island. Also, the total is described as rising to about 2.7 million by 2015, but it is approximately 2.75 million and remains level in 2016 before rising. More precise comparisons would strengthen the account.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised effectively into an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs, with the figures grouped by visitor category and then total. This gives the reader a clear progression through the graph. Linking expressions such as “After that,” “However,” and “Moreover” help signal changes and contrasts, and the sequence of years is generally easy to follow. To make the cohesion more flexible, avoid relying on the same contrast markers repeatedly and make references more exact: “this number” and “this graph” can be unclear when several series are being discussed. The overview’s claim that cruise-ship visitors have the lowest number also conflicts with the later 2017 figure, weakening the connection between the summary and details.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough graph-related vocabulary to describe movement, including “increased,” “decline,” “remained,” “drop,” and “recovering.” However, the range is limited by repeated general phrases such as “number of visitors” and “made a progress,” and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate or informal for an academic report. For example, “stuck there” is less suitable than a neutral description of stability, while “successful in recovering this number” sounds unnatural. There are also spelling errors, including “tousists,” “relevent,” and “numer,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for precise terms such as “visitor total,” “rose steadily,” and “remained stable,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “which” and “However,” and the overall meaning is usually clear. Nevertheless, errors occur often enough to limit control. Examples include “tourists staying on cruise ships keeps,” where the plural subject requires a plural verb, and “the number … was around 0.25 millions,” where the noun should be singular. Several sentences also shift tense inconsistently, such as “After that, there is a decline” within a past-period account, and “which keep on making progress.” Article use is also missing in “In 2010, number of visitors.” Use past tense consistently, check subject–verb agreement and singular/plural forms, and proofread sentence boundaries and punctuation.

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