Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-11
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 plans showed that the port had changed. Some places remain same but a lot had changed for example they had flip the Fishing boats with Marine private yachts. Moreover, they had added cafes and shops and one more showers and toilets.
Most of the things were not changed they remain on their places for example Life boat, Passenger ferries and Public beach. They also changed tone public beach with private beach. In the previous boat the Dock was inside but now it is outside. They had made the hotel in place of Castle. They had added one more Showers and toilets place beside the first car park.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the ability to fully develop the task. While you have identified some key changes, such as the replacement of the castle with a hotel and the shift from fishing boats to yachts, the summary lacks a clear overview or a structured comparison of the main features. The description is fragmented and misses several significant details shown in the plans, such as the expansion of the car park or the addition of the new pier. To improve, you must provide a clear introduction, a distinct overview of the main trends, and ensure all key features are described in sufficient detail to meet the length requirement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response lacks a clear logical progression. While there is an attempt to use transition words like 'Moreover' and 'for example', the paragraphing is ineffective, and the ideas are presented in a somewhat disjointed manner. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as when you refer to 'the previous boat' without specifying the location or context. To improve, you should group related information into distinct paragraphs—for example, one paragraph for features that remained the same and another for the changes—and use a wider range of cohesive devices to link your sentences more naturally.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. You rely on basic verbs like 'changed', 'added', and 'made', which do not demonstrate the range required for an Academic Task 1 response. There are also inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'flip the Fishing boats' and 'changed tone public beach', which hinder the clarity of your description. To achieve a higher score, you should use more precise terminology related to maps and changes, such as 'replaced', 'converted', 'extended', or 'relocated', and ensure that your collocations are accurate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are issues with verb tense consistency (e.g., 'The plans showed' vs 'they had flip'), article usage, and sentence structure. Many sentences are simple, and there is a lack of complex structures. For instance, 'they had flip the Fishing boats' should be 'the fishing boats were replaced by'. To improve, focus on using a mix of simple and complex sentences, ensure consistent use of the past tense when describing the 2000 plan, and pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and pluralization.
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