Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-14

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 maps compare the changes in Porth Harbour in 2000 and how it looks today.

Overall, it is clear that the Porth Harbour is now looking more developed and structured in a new plan after adding some new anemities and some existing features are removed.

To commence with, in a new plan marina private yachts area is replaced with fishing boats area. Furthermore, in the South east corner of the 2000 harbour plan had castle disused area which is now converted in hotel and the public beach area behind it is totally reserved for hotel. In addition, the Dock area in north direction of the wall is doubled now as compared to the old plan.

Moreover, new showers and toilets space is constructed in the middle of west direction beside larger car parking area. Additionally, near the life boat area in new plan some cafe's and shops are also constructed alongside the road which join hotel to the main road.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the broad change from a harbour with older facilities to a more developed site, and you report several relevant transformations: the castle becomes a hotel, the southern beach becomes private, and cafés and shops are added near the lifeboat station. However, some key details are unclear or inaccurate. The opening comparison of the marina and fishing boats reverses the change: fishing boats move into the former marina basin, while the marina shifts to the southern basin. Saying the dock is “doubled” is also imprecise; the plan shows an additional jetty and two berthed boats. The overview gives a general impression but could summarise the main pattern more precisely, including the relocation of harbour uses and the expansion of visitor facilities. Develop these comparisons more fully and accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall shape: an introduction, a general overview, and two paragraphs describing changes. Information is grouped by location and feature, and linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “In addition,” and “Moreover” help signal progression. This gives the account a coherent arrangement. At times, however, the sequence feels like a list of separate additions rather than a systematic comparison of the two plans. The phrase “in a new plan” is also an unclear reference, and “the public beach area behind it” makes the location relationship difficult to follow. Organise the details consistently—for example, first describe changes in the northern harbour, then the southern area—and use clearer references to the 2000 and present-day plans.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “marina,” “fishing boats,” “car parking,” “lifeboat,” and “converted,” so the reader can identify many of the features being compared. There is also some attempt to vary wording, such as “constructed” and “reserved.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing maps: “anemities” is misspelled, “doubled” does not precisely describe the dock change, and “new plan” is repeated where “today’s plan” or “present-day layout” would be clearer. Phrases such as “area is replaced with” also obscure the fact that the facilities have changed locations. Aim for precise verbs such as “relocated,” “added,” and “converted,” and check spelling and natural collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of sentence forms, including longer sentences with “Furthermore,” “which,” and “Additionally,” and the main meaning is generally understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with articles, sentence structure, and agreement. For example, “the Porth Harbour” uses an unnecessary article, while “in the South east corner of the 2000 harbour plan had castle disused area” lacks a clear subject and has an incomplete structure. “The Dock area in north direction” also needs a more accurate grammatical construction, such as “The dock at the northern entrance.” Use complete subject–verb sentences and check articles and prepositions. More consistently accurate complex sentences would make the comparisons easier to follow.

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