Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-07-30

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 illustrate changes to a harbour in the year of 2000 as compared with today.

Overall, it can be observed from the above map that port harbour increased the area for dock and the place for marine had been exchanged with fishing boats.

In 2000, both showers and toilets and car park area remained unchanged today . Whereas marine exchanged its location with fishing boats , along with it one new dock for boat has been constructed in the east side of the Harbour.

In porth harbour main road now interact with car park which was no longer connected before. However, in south near the public beach has been converted to private beach. Moreover, new cafe and shops built newly just near the lifeboat area. Furthermore, a hotel has been opened in place of castle which is now have been connected with road in the east side of the porth.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the harbour, such as the new dock, the hotel, and the beach conversion. However, the overview is somewhat confusingly phrased, particularly the mention of 'marine' being exchanged with fishing boats, which is unclear. While the main changes are identified, the description lacks precision in spatial referencing, making it difficult for the reader to visualize the layout changes. The report would benefit from a more structured approach, grouping changes by area (e.g., northern vs. southern developments) to better highlight the comparisons requested by the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is hindered by awkward phrasing and unclear referencing. While some cohesive devices like 'whereas', 'moreover', and 'furthermore' are used, they are occasionally applied in a way that disrupts the flow of information. For instance, the transition between the description of the car park and the beach is abrupt. The use of referencing is sometimes ambiguous, making it hard to follow which specific part of the harbour is being discussed. Improved paragraphing and clearer signposting would significantly enhance the readability.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward word choices, such as 'port harbour' and 'place for marine', which do not accurately describe the features shown on the map. The phrase 'interact with car park' is also an unnatural collocation. While the student attempts to use descriptive language, the lack of variety and occasional misuse of terminology limit the score. Expanding the range of vocabulary to include more specific terms for map descriptions would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'which is now have been connected' and 'in south near the public beach has been converted'. There are also issues with article usage and tense consistency, such as 'in the year of 2000' and 'remained unchanged today'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction and verb forms prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

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