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 two plans represent the Porth Harbour many years ago and today after certain changes have been made.

The plan shows the construction of a new road that leads to the hotel, which was disused Castle previously. Accommodations for more boats is now made by creating more space for docks.The positions of the Marina and the Fishing boats are now interchanged.

In 2000, there was a disused castle located east of the main road, now replaced with the Hotel. A new road is now constructed for connecting the hotel with the existing road, located north-east of main road. Cafes and shops are now opened alongside lifeboat. Showers and toilets are also made available for both car park, previously unavailable in the larger car park just below the smaller car park.

The larger car park is now connected to the main road by a small road, previously connected to the road emerging from the main road. The public beach located south-west of the castle is now made private for the hotel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the harbour, such as the conversion of the castle into a hotel and the expansion of the car park and dock facilities. However, the response lacks a clear overview, which is essential for a Band 7 or higher. An overview should summarize the most significant changes—such as the modernization of the harbour and the shift toward tourist-oriented facilities—rather than just listing details. Additionally, some descriptions are slightly confusing, such as the mention of the 'lifeboat' and the spatial relationships between the car parks, which could be more precisely described to help the reader visualize the changes.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical. You rely on simple transitions like 'In 2000' and 'now', but the logical flow between sentences could be improved by using more varied cohesive devices (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in contrast'). Some referencing is also unclear; for instance, the phrase 'previously unavailable in the larger car park just below the smaller car park' is syntactically awkward and makes it difficult to track the specific location of the new facilities.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'disused', 'interchanged', and 'construction'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'accommodations for more boats is now made' is slightly unnatural; 'increased capacity for boats' would be more precise. Similarly, 'opened alongside lifeboat' is unclear. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more precise terminology related to maps and spatial changes, such as 'transformed', 'extended', 'relocated', or 'converted'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'which was disused Castle previously' (missing article and word order), 'A new road is now constructed for connecting' (tense usage), and 'made available for both car park' (preposition/pluralization error). While the meaning is generally understandable, these errors are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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