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 maps gives the information about porth horbour that undergoes significant changes from its orignal layout.
Overall, the harbour transformed into a tourist attraction. The Addition of new cafes and shops and some shifts of certain places enhanced its sustainbility.
In 2000, there were two car parks, small one connected to main road and the large one adjacent to side road. Marina for private yachts were located in west of harbour near to the dock. The dock is used for passenger fairies. A old castle which is not in used was on south east corner. Two publics beaches were present in 2000, one near to castle & other one on north east of harbour.
As of today, Manna for private yachts and fishng boat space have exchange their places. A new dock is also build next to the old dock for providing more space for passenger ferries to dock. A extra showers & toilets area is cosntruct near to large car park.
The main feature of new layout of harbour is the turning of unused castle into a Hotel with a private beach, which is only accesable to hotel guests. A chain of cafes & shops are build near to lifeboat area.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all key features of the maps, including the transformation of the harbour and specific changes like the new dock, the hotel conversion, and the relocation of the marina. The overview is clear and identifies the main trend of the harbour becoming a tourist attraction. However, the response could be improved by providing more precise comparisons between the two time periods. For instance, while you mention the new dock, you could explicitly contrast its size or position relative to the original. The inclusion of specific details, such as the new amenities, is good, but the overall analysis would benefit from a more structured comparison of the spatial layout.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on the past and present respectively. The progression of ideas is generally clear. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally repetitive. For example, the transition between sentences could be smoother; phrases like 'As of today' and 'The main feature' are functional but basic. Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, such as 'one near to castle & other one on north east', which lacks a clear antecedent. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the flow of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to describe the changes effectively. You use some relevant terms like 'tourist attraction', 'sustainability', and 'layout'. However, there are several spelling errors ('porth horbour', 'orignal', 'sustainbility', 'fairies' instead of 'ferries', 'Manna' instead of 'Marina', 'fishng', 'cosntruct', 'accesable') and word choice issues ('exchange their places' instead of 'swapped locations'). These errors are frequent enough to occasionally distract the reader, though they do not prevent the message from being understood. Expanding your range of descriptive verbs and ensuring accurate spelling will help improve this score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there is a high frequency of grammatical errors. Issues include missing articles ('The maps gives', 'A old castle'), incorrect verb forms ('are build', 'is cosntruct'), and subject-verb agreement errors ('The maps gives'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of ampersands (&) instead of 'and'. While the meaning is generally clear, the persistent grammatical inaccuracies limit the complexity and precision of your writing. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement and article usage would be highly beneficial.
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