Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-13
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 provided floor plans illustrate the transformation of Porth Harbour layout over past 26 years ago ,highlighting the significant changes that have taken place since 26 years ago.
Overall, The Harbour has been changed extensively with the introduction of new amenities. The most significant change is the replacement of unused castle with hotel on the north -east side of Harbour.
In 2000 .There was Main road on the west side which leads to car parks and lifeboat. There were private yachts ,showers and toilets on the north-west side. The most noticeable feature was y-shaped public beach on the north along with dock and passenger ferries. The passengers used these ferries to travel to unused castle on the south-west side and enjoyed in the public beach next to castle.
At present, A location of car parks and shower &toilets has been remained unchanged with the introduction of new showers & toilets between carparks. Moreover, castle and public beach is replaced with hotel and private beach ( for hotel clients ) respectively. A new cafe &shops has been built on the south .
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 transformation, identifying key changes such as the hotel, the private beach, and the new cafe. However, the overview is slightly repetitive, and the description of the 2000 layout is somewhat cluttered. While the main trends are identified, the comparison between the two time periods could be more analytical. The student successfully highlights the shift from public to private amenities, which is a key feature of the task. To reach a higher band, ensure that the overview clearly synthesises the most significant changes rather than just listing them.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, moving from an introduction and overview to a description of the past and then the present. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as the repetitive use of 'In 2000' and 'At present'. Additionally, there are issues with punctuation and spacing, such as the period after '2000' and the lack of spaces after commas, which disrupts the flow of the text. Improving the variety of transition signals and ensuring standard punctuation would significantly enhance the coherence of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, using terms like 'transformation', 'amenities', and 'layout'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and awkward phrasing, such as 'unused castle' (which should likely be 'derelict' or 'abandoned') and 'enjoyed in the public beach'. There are also some minor errors in collocation, such as 'A location of car parks... has been remained unchanged'. While the meaning is clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and the student relies on basic descriptors rather than more precise academic terminology suitable for describing maps.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include incorrect article usage ('the replacement of unused castle'), subject-verb agreement ('A new cafe & shops has been built'), and tense inconsistencies. Punctuation is also a recurring problem, particularly with inconsistent spacing after punctuation marks and unnecessary capitalisation (e.g., 'The Harbour', 'A location'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for punctuation would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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