Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-10

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 4.0)

The layout illustrates the information about the port in a year of 2000 However, how it developed in recent time.

It can be clearly seen that In the west zone, there was long main road which connected to a car park Followed by this, showers & toilets were just left to the car park. Afterwards, there was big river in center zone , which had lots of things included, Infront of car park and showers& toilets just next was marina private yachts and it joint to fishing boats in south side.

It can be clearly observed that

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 3.0

The response is significantly under the required word count, which severely limits your ability to report main features or make meaningful comparisons. You have failed to complete the task, as the writing stops abruptly mid-sentence. While you attempt to describe the west zone and the river, you omit the majority of the changes shown in the diagrams, such as the new apartments, the hotel, and the removal of the fishing boats. To improve, you must ensure you cover all areas of the map and provide a clear overview of the key trends, such as the transition from a functional harbour to a more recreational space.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The response lacks a clear structure. There is no introduction that effectively paraphrases the prompt, and the lack of a concluding summary makes the progression of ideas unclear. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Followed by this' and 'Afterwards', they are used mechanically and do not create a logical flow between the features of the map. The paragraphing is also problematic, as the text is fragmented and incomplete. To improve, focus on grouping features logically—perhaps by area or by the nature of the changes—and use a wider variety of linking words to connect your observations.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

Your vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. You rely on basic descriptors like 'big' and 'lots of things', which do not demonstrate the range required for an Academic Task 1 response. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'in a year of 2000' (should be 'in 2000') and 'it joint to' (should be 'it joined' or 'it was connected to'). To reach a higher band, you should use more precise terminology related to maps and urban development, such as 'situated', 'replaced by', 'constructed', or 'transformed'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with article usage ('a long main road', 'in center zone'), incorrect prepositions ('in a year of'), and sentence fragments. Your sentence structures are simple and lack the complexity required for higher bands. For example, 'However, how it developed in recent time' is not a complete sentence. You need to focus on basic sentence construction, ensuring every sentence has a clear subject and verb, and work on using a mix of simple and complex structures to describe the changes accurately.

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

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