Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 charts below show a harbour in 2000 and its apperance in now a days.

Overall, the number of showers and toilets increased in todays Harbour in the west corner near the main road, private beaches and hotels at the place of castle were introduced in current plan, which were not available; previously, cafes and shops were also introduced in todays project near the life boat station.

In the porth Harbour in 2000, there were showers, toilets, andcar parking in the west corner with the marine private yachts and fishing boats next to it and the life boat station next to the road, castle in the east of the Harbour. There were public beach in the north and south corner and dock and passenger ferries.In todays plan there are showers, toilets, and car parking near the main road and private yachts and fishing boats next to it, and it also has dock and passenger ferries. There are cafes, shops, and the lifeboat near the road, the public beaches in north and the private beaches on the east corner with hotels ahead.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important changes, including the hotel replacing the castle, the addition of cafés and shops, and changes to the beach’s status. However, the overview is not fully accurate: it says showers and toilets increased, whereas the maps show facilities in two locations today, and it does not highlight the major exchange of uses between the northern and southern water areas. Some locations are also unclear or incorrect, such as placing the hotel and private beach in the “east corner”; they are at the south-eastern end, south of the road. The response reports relevant features, but the main transformations need clearer selection and more precise comparison. Describe the marina’s move south and the fishing boats’ move north, as well as the added jetty at the dock.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall structure: an opening, an overview, and descriptions of the two plans. This gives the reader a general sense of the comparison. However, the progression within the body is difficult to follow because features from different areas are grouped together, and the comparison is mostly presented as two lists. For example, the first body sentence moves from facilities in the west to the marina, fishing boats, lifeboat and castle without clear spatial sequencing. Linking phrases such as “In 2000” and “In today’s plan” help, but the repeated pattern does not show relationships between changes. Organise details by location or by major change, and use clear references such as “by contrast” and “while” to connect corresponding features.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant map vocabulary, including “harbour,” “private yachts,” “passenger ferries,” and “introduced,” so the reader can recognise many of the features. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate or awkward, which sometimes makes the description less clear. Examples include “apperance in now a days,” “marine private yachts” for the marina, and “private beaches” where the map shows one private beach. Spelling errors such as “apperance” and “cafes” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise terms and natural collocations, and avoid repeating “there were” and “there are.” Using verbs such as “was relocated,” “was replaced,” and “was added” would help describe the changes more efficiently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts some longer sentences and uses past and present forms to distinguish the plans, but control is inconsistent. Errors in sentence construction and agreement appear in examples such as “There were public beach” and “in todays Harbour,” while “in now a days” is not a grammatical time expression. The sentence beginning “Overall” also combines several changes in a way that makes the relationships between clauses unclear. Punctuation is sometimes missing, notably where “passenger ferries” runs directly into “In todays plan.” These problems can make the reader pause, even though the general meaning is usually recoverable. Practise accurate articles and plurals, and use shorter, complete comparison sentences before attempting more complex structures.

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