Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The figure illustrates the structure of Porth Harbour in 2000 and in present. Overall, there are many changes has been made to improve the structure of Porth Harbour such as location Marine, and fishing boat has been modified. The car park located in west location is linked with main road. The castle located in south-east corner is replaced with hotel.

As we can observe from both figures, location Marina, and fishing boat has been modified because Marina is replaced by fishing boat and place of fishing boat taken by Marina. Moreover, car park located on the south-east side is connected with main road on the west side of Porth Harbour. In addition, cafes and shops are introduced in free space next to Lifeboat in the new structure. Apart from this, castle located on the south-east corner is replaced by the hotel that is linked to main road through small road which was connecting lifeboat and main road in the old structure.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the harbour, such as the relocation of the marina and fishing boats, the addition of cafes and shops, and the replacement of the castle with a hotel. However, the description is somewhat repetitive and lacks precision in spatial referencing. For instance, the claim that the car park is 'linked with main road' is mentioned twice, and the description of the marina/fishing boat swap is confusingly phrased. While the main trends are identified, the report would benefit from a more structured approach to comparing the two time periods, rather than listing changes in a somewhat disjointed manner.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into two paragraphs, which is appropriate for a short report. However, the logical progression is hindered by repetitive phrasing and awkward transitions. Phrases like 'Apart from this' and 'In addition' are used, but the internal cohesion within sentences is often weak. For example, the sentence 'location Marina, and fishing boat has been modified because Marina is replaced by fishing boat and place of fishing boat taken by Marina' is circular and difficult to follow. The referencing is sometimes unclear, making it hard for the reader to track the changes effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There is significant repetition of basic verbs like 'modified', 'replaced', and 'located'. Some word choices are unnatural, such as 'location Marine' instead of 'the marina' and 'place of fishing boat taken by Marina'. The range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little evidence of less common lexical items or sophisticated collocations that would demonstrate a higher level of control over the topic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Subject-verb agreement is a recurring issue, such as 'there are many changes has been made' and 'location Marina, and fishing boat has been modified'. There is also a lack of articles (e.g., 'in west location', 'next to Lifeboat'). While the student attempts some complex structures, they are often marred by errors. The sentence structure is generally simple, and the lack of consistent control over basic grammar prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

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