Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-07-24

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 given figure illustrates a harbour in 2000 and, How it looks today after development.

Harbour is a shelter place for ships, while harbour is completely changed after 2000. Now today harbour has more facilities for boats and also for those people who come to harbour.

In 2000, harbour was completely changed from now. From the starting the was a car parking for cars. Showers and toilets for the peoples. For fishing there was boats too for only fishing, and there used to be a dock for passenger ferries there. And also a public beach side. In the east side there was also an castle in Porth Harbour in 2000.

Today, harbour have car park or shower and toilets on different sides. There is also a cafes & shops for the refreshments and a lifeboat nearby shops. At the east side there is a hotel for tourists who wants to experience to spend there holidays to live nearby beach. On the north side there is dock & passenger ferries nearby a public beach.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the task by describing the changes in the harbour, but it lacks a clear overview of the main trends. While you mention that the harbour has changed, you do not highlight the most significant transformations, such as the shift from a purely functional fishing area to a more tourist-oriented facility. Some details are slightly inaccurate or confusing, such as describing the castle as being 'in' the harbour rather than adjacent to it. To improve, ensure you provide a concise summary of the overall transformation in the introduction and group your points more logically to highlight the contrast between the two time periods.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical. You rely heavily on simple sentence structures and lack a variety of cohesive devices to link your points smoothly. For instance, the transition between describing the 2000 layout and the current layout could be more clearly signposted. The use of referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the spatial relationships between the different features mentioned. Using more linking words like 'conversely', 'in contrast', or 'furthermore' would improve the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. You use phrases like 'completely changed' and 'there was/there is' frequently, which limits the sophistication of your writing. There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'shelter place' instead of 'sheltered area' or 'harbour' used without the necessary articles. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to maps and urban development, such as 'converted', 'expanded', 'replaced', or 'situated'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response consists primarily of simple sentences. While these are mostly understandable, there is a lack of complex grammatical structures, which limits your ability to demonstrate control over more advanced syntax. There are frequent errors with articles (e.g., 'a car parking', 'the was a car parking') and subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'harbour have', 'tourists who wants'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and ampersands. To improve, focus on using relative clauses and varied sentence beginnings to create more complex and accurate sentences.

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