Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

the two maps illustrates how porth harbour has transformed between 2000 and today.

overall the harbour has been redeveloped to focus more on tourism and leisure. while some facilities for fishing and yachts remain, several new commercial buildings have been, and the beach has become private.

in the west, the main road is unchanged. however, a second set of showers and toilets and an additional car park have been south of the of the existing ones. the area for fishing boards moved north, replacing the former marina for private yachts. the marina has in turn been relocated further south.

in the central area, the dock has been extended to accomodate two boats instead of one. cafes and shops have also been constructed along the road, next to lifeboat station which remains in the same position.

in the east, the most significant changes have occured. the disused castle has been converted into a hotel, and the adjacent public beach is now a private beach is now a private beach for hotel guests. the passenger ferry area and the public beach in the northeast are unchanged.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the harbour's transformation, including the shift toward tourism and the specific changes in the west, central, and east sections. You provided a clear overview and supported your points with relevant details from the maps. To reach a higher band, ensure that all descriptions are precise; for instance, you mention 'a second set of showers and toilets' were added, but the map shows these as new facilities rather than a second set. Additionally, ensure you consistently use the present tense for describing the current state of the harbour, as you occasionally slipped into past tense when describing current features.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that follow a geographical progression (west, central, east). This makes the information easy to follow. You use some cohesive devices like 'however', 'in turn', and 'in the central area' to link ideas. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that referencing is always clear. For example, the phrase 'next to lifeboat station' is missing an article, and the repetition of 'is now a private beach' in the final paragraph disrupts the otherwise smooth flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'redeveloped', 'accommodate', 'converted', and 'adjacent'. This allows you to convey the changes effectively. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and spelling errors, such as 'accomodate' (should be 'accommodate') and 'occured' (should be 'occurred'). To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations related to urban planning or map description, such as 'undergone significant development' or 'transformed into a commercial hub'. The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate your points clearly, but lacks the precision required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('next to lifeboat station', 'in the west'), subject-verb agreement issues ('the two maps illustrates'), and tense inconsistencies ('several new commercial buildings have been' - missing the past participle). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic articles and ensuring verbs are correctly conjugated will significantly improve your accuracy.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.