Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-04
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 5.5)
The maps compare the how harbour looked in 2000 and today.
Overall, the porth harbour underwent significant development, with the construction of new cafes and shops. The major change was conversion of public beach into private beach in the southern side of porth harbour and exchange position of marina and fishing boats.
To begin with, there were two public beaches. The first beach was on the northern side of porth harbour, while other was in the southern side. On the western side, car park, shower and toilets were located and beside this marina private yachts was situated. The boats for fishing were placed below marina private yacht and car park left side of fishing boats.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the score. While you identify some main features, such as the conversion of the beach and the relocation of the marina, the description is incomplete. You have omitted several key changes, such as the addition of the hotel and the new apartment buildings. Furthermore, the analysis is quite brief and lacks the necessary detail to fully report on the visual data provided. To improve, ensure you cover all significant changes shown in the diagrams and provide a more comprehensive overview to meet the length requirement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay has a basic structure with an introduction, an overview, and a body paragraph. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed. You use some cohesive devices like 'To begin with' and 'while', but the overall flow is hindered by the brevity of the text. Paragraphing is present, but the final paragraph is underdeveloped and lacks a clear logical transition from the overview. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus and use a wider variety of linking words to connect your observations more fluidly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision expected at higher bands. You use basic terms like 'significant development', 'major change', and 'placed'. There are also some minor errors in word choice and phrasing, such as 'exchange position of marina' instead of 'the marina was relocated'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to describing maps and changes, such as 'transformed', 'relocated', 'replaced', or 'expanded'. Expanding your range of descriptive adjectives and verbs will help you achieve a higher score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'compare the how harbour looked' (missing 'the' and incorrect word order), 'private yachts was situated' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'car park left side of fishing boats' (missing preposition). These errors do not completely impede communication, but they are noticeable. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, the correct use of articles, and prepositions of place. Proofreading your work for these common errors will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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