Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-06

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 plans gives a detail of an old Porth harbour and how it appears after and today.

Overall, the harbour today displays more facilities than it was in year 2000. the renovation simply uses the available spaces and rooms to create more parking for boats and increase the convenient at the boat yard.

In year 2000, the harbour has two entrances, one leading to the car park and the dock axis while the other leading the disused castle and the lifeboat area. Moreso, the harbour had only one shower and toilets room, one duck space, was available. Where as, it also has marina private yachts.

Presently, after renovation was carried out the harbour seems to have one extra rest room, an extra dock was also created by the existing one and the fishing boats is taken up, then just by the lifeboat area, a cafes and shops was newly introduces and lastly the disused castle and be converted to an hotel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response provides a general overview and identifies some key changes, such as the addition of facilities and the conversion of the castle. However, the report is somewhat superficial. It fails to clearly describe the spatial layout or provide precise comparisons between the two time periods. For instance, the description of the entrances and the location of the new facilities is vague and lacks the necessary detail to fully convey the transformation shown in the diagrams. To improve, you should focus on grouping information logically—perhaps by comparing the northern and southern sections of the harbour—and ensuring that all major changes are clearly highlighted with specific reference to the visual data.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the flow between sentences is often disjointed due to awkward phrasing and limited use of cohesive devices. While there is an attempt to use transition words like 'Moreso' and 'Presently', the logical progression is sometimes hindered by grammatical errors and unclear referencing. For example, the transition between the description of the year 2000 and the present day could be smoother. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus to enhance the overall readability.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are several instances of word-choice errors, such as 'convenient' (should be 'convenience'), 'duck space' (likely meant 'dock space'), and 'is taken up' (which is unclear in this context). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic descriptors. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more precise terminology related to maps and urban development, such as 'expanded', 'transformed', 'redeveloped', or 'situated', and ensure that your word forms are accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

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 ('The plans gives', 'a cafes and shops was newly introduces') and incorrect article usage. Additionally, the tense usage is inconsistent when describing the changes. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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