Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-03

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 illustrates the changes that took place in Porth Harbour between 2000 and the present day.

Overall, it is clear that the area underwent significant changes over the period, becoming more developed and modernised.

At the beginning of 2000, the Porth Harbour area contained disused castle which has since been converted into a hotel in the south-eastern part of the area. Near hotel, new cafes and shops have been built, while the lifeboat section remained untouched. In the Northern part, the public beach has also remained untouched. However, the three docks have been reduced to two where now all passenger ferries operates.

Moreover, the marina area and fishing boat areas swapped their locations in the present day. In 2000, the showers, toilets and car park area, which was connected to the main road remained unchanged. However, several modifications have been introduced, with the southern car park being dividing into two different parts for showers and toilets and car parking. By the end of the period, the public beach had been redeveloped and now use as a private beach for the hotel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main features of the harbour's transformation well. You successfully identified the conversion of the castle, the addition of shops/cafes, and the reconfiguration of the docks and car park. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting the data; for instance, you mention the public beach remained untouched in one sentence, but later state it was redeveloped into a private beach. This contradiction impacts the clarity of your report. To reach a higher band, ensure that your summary of the 'main features' is consistent and that you clearly distinguish between what remained the same and what was modified without conflicting statements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction and a summary of overall trends. Paragraphing is used to separate different areas of the harbour, which helps the reader follow the changes. You use cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'However', and 'In the Northern part' to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'Near hotel' (missing an article) and the confusing sequence regarding the beach. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring consistent referencing would strengthen the coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'modernised', 'redeveloped', and 'converted'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'passenger ferries operates' (should be 'operate') and 'now use as' (should be 'is now used as'). While you attempt to use specific terminology related to the map, some phrasing is slightly unnatural. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations for describing spatial changes and ensure that your verb forms match the nouns they describe.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('disused castle' should be 'a disused castle', 'Near hotel' should be 'Near the hotel') and verb tense/agreement ('ferries operates', 'now use as'). These errors occur frequently enough to be noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points. To achieve a higher band, focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and the correct usage of definite and indefinite articles.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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