Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-09

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The plans below show a harbour in 2000 and how it looks today.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

 

 

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The map shows information about a Porth Harbour in 2000 and how it looks today.

Overall, it is clear that the Porth harbour has become much more developed with the addition of more facilities such as the hotel, cafes and shops.

In 2000, The porth Harbour doesn't have any cafes and shops but today it's developed and located near of the road. Another remarkable change is that castle (discussed) and public beach transformed into hotel and private beach in the south- east of the corner. One slight change is that Merina (private yachts) and fishing boats are replaced eachother in today.

Today , The Porth Harbour has two areas for showers and toilets but in 2000 , there is only one which is situated in nearby the car park and car park situated in the same place. Similarly, dock, public beach, passenger ferries and lifeboat remained the same locations as they situated in 2000. In addition, road is extended and consumers can easily go hotel today. Moreover, main road is also expanded today and remained the same.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad change from a harbour with fewer facilities to a more developed site, and your overview mentions the hotel, cafés and shops. You also report several relevant changes, including the exchange of the marina and fishing-boat areas and the addition of a second showers-and-toilets facility. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the castle was replaced by a hotel, while the southern beach changed from public to private; the north-eastern public beach did not transform. The claim that the road was extended and the main road expanded is not supported by the plans. The comparison of facilities and locations is also incomplete. A more precise overview and accurate selection of the major changes would make the summary more fully informative.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overall statement and two paragraphs describing changes. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression within the body paragraphs is uneven, as changes to facilities, beach use and transport are mixed together, and some points are repeated or difficult to follow. For example, the final paragraph says the main road “remained the same” after claiming it was “expanded,” creating an unclear comparison. Linking phrases such as “Another remarkable change,” “Similarly” and “Moreover” are used, but some do not accurately signal the relationship between ideas. Group the changes by location or type, and use clearer references to distinguish the two beaches and car parks.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “facilities,” “private beach,” “marina,” “fishing boats” and “remained,” so the main subject is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, spelling and collocation errors make parts of the description unclear. Examples include “castle (discussed)” for “disused castle,” “Merina” for “marina,” “replaced eachother,” and “located near of the road.” “Consumers” is also unsuitable for people using the harbour facilities. Aim for accurate map vocabulary and natural phrases such as “situated beside,” “was converted into,” and “the two areas exchanged locations.” Check spelling and use consistent capitalisation for place names and labels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a comparison with “but” and a sentence beginning “In addition.” However, grammatical control is inconsistent, and errors sometimes make relationships between features difficult to understand. For example, “The porth Harbour doesn't have any cafes and shops” uses an awkward present-tense construction for a past comparison, while “castle … and public beach transformed into hotel and private beach” lacks clear articles and a well-formed passive structure. There are also problems with prepositions and sentence construction in “located near of the road” and “as they situated in 2000.” Practise past passive forms such as “was replaced by,” and check articles, verb forms and punctuation when comparing the two plans.

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