Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The map illustrates the changes in harbour in during 2000 and now
Overall, it is evident that the park had undergone several changes and add new facilities in the harbour and constructed new building
Turning to details, shower toilets constructed at west side ofthe harbour by replacing car parking .the public , meanwhile public beach remain has remained unchanged.fishing boats area relocated by new The Marina private yachs next , new cafes and shops constructed near the life boat area .The caste discussed located in 2000 at east side of harbour now replaced by the new hotel
Probing further,passenger ferries had remained unchanged car parking in bottom east of harbour is left unchanged.The public beach has altered by private beach doch area also shows no progess in the harbour .second new shower and toilets built at the west side of harbour area ,public beach constructed in east side of harbour experince no changes
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 changes, such as the addition of the hotel, marina, and new facilities. However, the report is somewhat disorganized and contains contradictory information (e.g., stating the public beach remained unchanged, then later stating it was altered). The overview is present but lacks clarity, and some details are repetitive or confusingly presented. To improve, ensure that the information extracted from the visual is accurate and logically grouped, rather than listing changes in a fragmented manner. The summary of the main trends needs to be more cohesive to fully meet the requirements of a Band 6 or higher.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay lacks a clear logical progression. While there is an attempt at paragraphing, the sentences within the paragraphs are often disjointed and lack effective cohesive devices. Phrases like 'Turning to details' and 'Probing further' are used, but the internal structure of the sentences is often broken, making it difficult to follow the comparison between 2000 and the present. Referencing is also unclear, with frequent grammatical errors affecting the flow of information. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would significantly enhance the coherence of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and often repetitive. There are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'caste discussed' (likely referring to a castle) and 'doch area'. The student relies on basic vocabulary and struggles to use precise terminology to describe the changes in the harbour. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on learning topic-specific vocabulary related to maps and urban development, such as 'transformed', 'replaced by', 'expanded', or 'redeveloped', and pay closer attention to spelling and word forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors, including missing articles ('in harbour'), incorrect verb tenses ('shower toilets constructed'), and punctuation issues. Sentence structures are often simple or fragmented, and there is a lack of control over complex sentence forms. Many sentences are difficult to parse due to these errors, which impedes communication. For example, 'The caste discussed located in 2000 at east side of harbour now replaced by the new hotel' lacks a main verb and proper article usage. Focusing on basic sentence construction and subject-verb agreement is essential for improvement.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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