Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-13

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 4.5)

The two pictures show difference in Porth Harbour from 2000 to 2026 on the left top marina is exchanged by fishing boats on the left bottom showers and toilets are also added and marina was also added on South cafe and life boat are added while on the bottom right Castle was replaced by Hotel while behind the Castle public beach was replaced by private beach

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify several genuine changes, including the marina and fishing boats switching locations, new showers and toilets, cafés, and the castle being replaced by a hotel. However, the response only minimally summarises the plans: it gives no clear overview of the harbour’s overall redevelopment and omits important changes such as the extra jetty and the hotel’s private beach. The statement that a public beach behind the castle was replaced is inaccurate: the southern beach became private, while the north-eastern public beach remains. The response is also 66 words, 84 below the required minimum, which leaves the main features substantially under-reported. To improve, write a concise overview followed by a fuller, accurate account of the key changes and unchanged features.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The response contains a basic chronological comparison, beginning with the two plans and then listing changes, so the reader can identify the general subject. However, the information is compressed into one long, unpunctuated sentence, and the sequence of locations is difficult to follow: “on the left top” is followed by “on the left bottom” and then “on the bottom right.” There is no paragraphing or clear separation between the overview and supporting details, and linking between changes is limited. Organise the response into an overview and a details paragraph, grouping changes by location or function. Use clear transitions such as “In the northern basin” and “In the south” to make the comparisons easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “marina,” “fishing boats,” “showers and toilets,” “castle,” and “hotel,” which allows the reader to recognise several changes. The range is nevertheless narrow, and some choices are imprecise or awkward for describing plans. For example, “exchanged by” does not clearly express that the two facilities changed places, while “added on South” is not a natural way to locate a new marina. “Pictures” is understandable, but “plans” or “maps” is more appropriate here. Build a wider set of accurate verbs and location phrases, such as “was relocated to,” “was converted into,” and “along the southern shore,” and use them to report the changes precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to connect several changes in a single sentence, but it relies on a very limited sentence pattern and frequent grammatical and punctuation problems make the relationships between ideas unclear. For example, “The two pictures show difference” lacks an article and plural marking, and “marina is exchanged by fishing boats” has an incorrect verb construction. The phrase “marina was also added on South” also lacks clear grammatical structure and a precise location pattern. Capitalisation and punctuation are largely absent, so the reader must work out where one idea ends and another begins. Practise writing several short, complete comparison sentences, checking articles, past-tense forms, prepositions, and sentence boundaries before attempting longer structures.

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