Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-15
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 map illustrates the difference between the Porth Harbour in 2000 to the Porth Harbour today.
Overall, some places are still in the same location including roads, showers and toilets, lifeboats and public beach on the north side and the car park is exact at the same points. There are two docks compared to one in 2000. The location is interchanges between the fishing boats and private yachts. The cafes and shops is the new place today and does not exist back in 2000. Finally, the castle and public beach near it in 2000 is now the hotel and the private beach.
The castle discussed area which was one attached to public beach is now the hotel with a private beach east south of the Porth Harbour. Today there is a cafes & shops besides lifeboats just on the left of road followed by hotel. There are two docks now compared to one in 2000 on the north side.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the maps, including the addition of new facilities like cafes and shops, the conversion of the castle into a hotel, and the changes to the docks. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, analytical overview of the most significant changes. While the main features are identified, the spatial relationships are sometimes described unclearly, such as 'east south of the Porth Harbour', which is imprecise. To reach a higher band, the response should provide a more cohesive summary of the overall trends rather than listing features in a fragmented manner.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and occasionally repetitive. For example, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is abrupt. Some sentences are disjointed, such as 'The castle discussed area which was one attached to public beach is now the hotel', which makes the progression of ideas feel slightly mechanical. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that referencing is clear would significantly enhance the flow of the writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. The student uses basic terms like 'new place' and 'exact at the same points'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'The location is interchanges' (should be 'swapped' or 'exchanged') and 'besides lifeboats' (should be 'beside' or 'adjacent to'). While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of more sophisticated or precise vocabulary limits the score. Expanding the range of descriptive language would help convey the changes more effectively.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('The cafes and shops is the new place'), incorrect preposition usage ('in 2000 to the Porth Harbour'), and awkward phrasing ('The castle discussed area'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. To improve, the student should focus on basic sentence construction, 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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