Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

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

Porth harbour back in 2000 was under developed with limited facilities as compared to the current plan.

Previously there was only a single dock in 2000 but today they have implemented another identical dock beside the old one. Opposite it cafes and shops has been newly opened which wasn't available in 2000. Towards the west of the lifeboat in 2000, fishing boats are replaced with marina(private yachts) and vice versa in the current plan. Both the car parks are connected to the main road with an additional construction of showers and toilets amidst them. The castle which was unused in 2000 has been converted into a hotel with the main road connected to it for an easier access. The public beach beside the castle has been revamped into a private beach which is attached to the hotel exclusively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify several major changes, including the exchange of the marina and fishing-boat areas, the addition of cafés and shops, and the conversion of the disused castle into a hotel with a private beach. These details are relevant and mostly match the plans. The opening also gives a broad comparison between the harbour’s earlier and current facilities. However, the overview is brief and the account does not cover some notable changes, such as the additional jetty and boats at the dock, or the new showers and toilets near the marina. Some details are also unclear: “another identical dock” is not quite accurate, as the plan shows an additional jetty. More systematic coverage and precise descriptions would make the summary more complete and developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows a generally understandable order, moving from the dock and nearby facilities to the harbour areas and then the hotel and beach. Linking expressions such as “Previously,” “but today,” and “Towards the west” help signal comparisons. However, the ideas are compressed into one paragraph, and the sequence sometimes makes relationships difficult to follow. For example, “Opposite it cafes and shops” does not clearly identify what “it” refers to, while the sentence about both car parks and the facilities “amidst them” combines several changes without clear spatial distinctions. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and details, and group changes by location or feature. More precise referencing would improve progression without relying on a list-like sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for describing changes, including “implemented,” “replaced,” “converted,” and “exclusively,” and the reader can understand the main transformations. There are also attempts at more specific language, such as “private yachts” and “additional construction.” Some choices are imprecise or unnatural for map reporting: “another identical dock” mislabels the added jetty, “revamped” suggests renovation rather than a change in beach access, and “amidst them” does not clearly describe the facilities’ positions. “Under developed” is also better expressed as one word, “underdeveloped.” Aim for accurate location and change vocabulary, and prefer neutral terms such as “added,” “relocated,” and “designated” where they match the plan.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex structures, including the contrast in “Previously there was only a single dock … but today…” and the relative clause in “The castle which was unused in 2000…”. The main meaning is generally clear, but some grammatical errors remain. The opening phrase “and to how it looks today” is not a well-formed parallel construction; use “and how it looks today.” In “cafes and shops has been newly opened,” the plural subject requires “have,” and “which wasn’t available” does not agree clearly with the plural facilities. The sentence beginning “Towards the west…” also has an unclear construction around “are replaced … and vice versa.” Check subject–verb agreement, clause references, and parallel phrasing when comparing the two plans.

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