Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The plan chart depicts a harbour city in 2000 and how it looks today.
Overall, it can be seen that, In 2000,there were several facilities available in the past but now some facilities added such as large two parks, hotel, and public beach at present. In today, the porth harbour is well-organized compared with past.
To begin with, In 2000, marina private yachts and Fishing boats changed opposite directions at present. Public beach remaine unchanged position in both time, besides ,two boats between duck aside one boat stable and second boat continued in the river in the past but at present a small change converted into three boats.
Meanwhile, Showers toilets and Car park had remained unchanged but included one extra Showers toilets besides the main highway roads. Likewise, the castle disused transffared into large hotel in the present. Finally, lifeboat junction was almost same position but extra added cafes and shops in the central at present.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers the main features of the harbour plans, identifying key changes such as the addition of parks, a hotel, and the expansion of facilities. However, the description of the changes is often unclear or inaccurate. For example, the statement that 'marina private yachts and Fishing boats changed opposite directions' is confusing and does not accurately reflect the visual data. Furthermore, the description of the boats in the river is difficult to follow. While the overview is present, the reporting of information lacks the precision required for a higher band, as some details are under-developed or misinterpreted.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or misused, such as 'In today, the porth harbour' and 'To begin with, In 2000'. The flow between sentences is frequently interrupted by awkward phrasing, making the progression of ideas feel disjointed. Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when describing the movement or changes of specific harbour features. While there is an attempt at logical sequencing, the lack of smooth transitions and the repetitive nature of the sentence structures hinder the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary range is limited and often repetitive. There are several instances of word-choice errors and non-standard collocations, such as 'plan chart', 'porth harbour', and 'disused transffared'. The student relies on basic terminology and struggles to describe the changes with precision. Spelling errors, such as 'transffared' and 'remaine', are present. To improve, the student needs to focus on using more accurate terminology for describing maps and trends, such as 'underwent a transformation' or 'remained in the same location', rather than relying on simplistic descriptions.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors, including issues with articles ('the porth harbour'), prepositions ('in the central'), and verb tenses ('facilities added' instead of 'facilities were added'). Punctuation is also problematic, with inconsistent capitalisation and comma usage. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction prevents the response from reaching a higher band. The student should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice for describing changes.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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