Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-12
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 6.0)
The plans depicts the information about a harbor was looked like in 2000 and today.
In 2000, showers and toilets can be seen at north-west of harbor, where as castle which was not in used was located in east-south of harbor. There was only single dock between top-left and top-right. Public beach was situated on north-east while car park was in the west-south. There was lifeboat, small public beach near castle, passenger ferries and a road during that time. There was marina and fishing boats located near to center of harbor facing each other. marina was at upside of harbor and fishing boats was represented in downside.
However, in today's scenario, there are lot of transformations have been made since 2000. First of all, two docks have been made and furthermore, marina and fishing boats are replaced with their places in present time. Now, hotel has been built up at the place of castle. In last, there are some cafes and shops are opened near the lifeboat and road.
To conclude it, there are lot of progressive improvements have been witnessed during this time period on this harbor which made comfortable of everyone to access.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers the main features of the harbour in both 2000 and the present day. You have identified key changes such as the addition of a second dock, the conversion of the castle into a hotel, and the introduction of new amenities like cafes and shops. However, the description of locations is sometimes imprecise (e.g., 'east-south' or 'upside of harbor'), which makes it difficult for the reader to visualize the layout. To improve, ensure you use more standard geographical terminology and provide a clearer overview of the most significant changes in the introduction or summary paragraph.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from 2000 to the present. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However', 'First of all', and 'Furthermore'. However, the use of linking words is sometimes mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'In last' to introduce the final point. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when describing the movement of the marina and fishing boats. Improving the variety of your cohesive devices and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would help elevate your score in this criterion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'transformations', 'progressive improvements', and 'witnessed'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'showers and toilets can be seen at north-west' (should be 'in the north-west') and 'made comfortable of everyone to access'. Some phrasing is repetitive, and the lack of precise vocabulary for spatial description limits your ability to describe the map accurately. Focusing on more natural collocations and precise terminology for map descriptions will improve your lexical range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Examples include 'The plans depicts' (subject-verb agreement), 'was looked like' (incorrect passive construction), and 'there are lot of transformations have been made' (double verb structure). Punctuation and article usage (e.g., 'at north-west of harbor') are also inconsistent. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall clarity of the writing. You should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and prepositions.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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