Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-02

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 6.5)

the map depict how Porth Harbour looked in year 2000 and in present time.

Overall, it can be seen that dock is more developed than past. While, fishing boats has big place for park boats. However, hotel takes castle place and public beach converts into privet beach and own by hotel.

In 2000, there were two docks available for passengers and now, one more dock is built for passengers. Moreover, one discontinued castle was showed in southeast corner and now, it converts into hotel with private beach space. However, in present time cafes and shops builds next to the lifeboat.

In addition, marina and fishing boats replace each other places. so, now marina has big area for parking private yachts. Whereas, only one shower and toilets next to car park which was connected with main road in northwest corner in 2000. While, in present time one more shower and toilets is built near car park in southwest corner.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response provides a general overview of the changes at Porth Harbour, identifying key developments such as the new dock, the hotel conversion, and the addition of facilities. However, the report lacks precision in describing the spatial layout. For example, stating that the marina and fishing boats 'replace each other places' is vague and does not clearly describe the relocation. While the main features are covered, the description of the changes is somewhat superficial, and the overview could be more effectively integrated to highlight the most significant transformations, such as the shift from a functional harbour to a more commercial/tourist-oriented site.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, a body paragraph for the main changes, and a concluding paragraph for additional details. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or slightly awkward, such as the repetitive use of 'However' and 'While' at the start of sentences. The referencing is sometimes unclear, for instance, 'it converts into hotel' lacks a clear subject reference. The progression of ideas is generally logical, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to better connect the comparisons between 2000 and the present.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward phrasing or incorrect word choices, such as 'discontinued castle' (likely meaning 'derelict' or 'former'), 'privet beach' (spelling error for 'private'), and 'builds next to' (incorrect verb form). The range of vocabulary is limited to basic descriptors, and there is a lack of sophisticated collocations related to map description, such as 'undergone significant transformation' or 'situated in the vicinity of'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('fishing boats has', 'cafes and shops builds', 'shower and toilets is built') and article usage ('takes castle place'). Tense usage is generally consistent in referring to the past and present, but the sentence construction is often clunky. While the meaning is usually understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band, as the control over complex structures is not yet consistent.

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