Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The images show numerous changes in the Porth Harbour in 2000 and in today's time.
In the year 2000, there was main road in the western side. Along with that road, there car park, and also toilets and showers beside the car park. There was a section called Marina where private yachts were parked. There were several areas such as Fishing boats, lifeboat where people can spend their time in fishing. Passenger ferries were also on the beach side; they can enjoy a ride started from dock area. There arere also two beaches for public access. The another car park was nearest to the fishing boats. In the southern east side, there was a castle which was not is the used.
The second image shows how Porth Harbour looks in the present time. The fishing boats and marina replaced by each other. The cafes and shops are located near the lifeboat. A hotel is opened in the south-east side of the beach, once there was a castle. Moreover, there is a private beach for the residents of the hotel.
Overall, today's Porth Harbour looks more attractive for tourists than the previous one with great changes such as hotel, cafes, and shops.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the harbour in both 2000 and the present day. You have identified key changes such as the hotel, the relocation of the marina, and the addition of shops. However, the report lacks a clear overview of the most significant trends, such as the shift from a functional fishing port to a more tourist-oriented facility. Some descriptions are slightly inaccurate or confusing, such as stating the fishing boats and marina 'replaced by each other' without clarifying the new layout. To improve, ensure you group information logically and provide a more analytical summary of the overall transformation rather than just listing individual changes.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the past to the present. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For example, 'The another car park' is grammatically incorrect, and the transition between sentences is sometimes abrupt. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'The fishing boats and marina replaced by each other,' which makes it difficult to visualise the changes. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their antecedents would significantly enhance the flow of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite repetitive and lacks the precision required for a higher band. You rely on basic descriptors like 'main road' and 'areas'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'not is the used' instead of 'no longer in use'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise terminology for describing maps, such as 'situated', 'adjacent to', 'transformed into', or 'converted'. Expanding your range of descriptive adjectives and adverbs will help you convey the changes more effectively.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'there car park' (missing verb), 'The another car park', 'not is the used', and 'There arere'. These errors are noticeable and occur throughout the text. While the meaning is generally understandable, the lack of control over basic sentence construction and articles prevents a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and ensuring every sentence has a clear, correctly conjugated verb.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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