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 given data shows the plan of Porth Harbour in 2000 and the plan of how it looks today.
In the year 2000, Porth Harbour had a gate for entering through the main road, which was attached directly to the car park containing showers and toilets. Another car park was through another gate via the road. Moving forward to the road had fishing boats in between and Marina for private yachts in front of it and further the road takes us directly to the area of lifeboat. In front it had a public beach and dock with some space left for boat parking. In the corner it had castle disused and public beaches.
Today, the main road has two gates for car parking and shower. Fishing boats and Marina for private yachts has exchange its position. New shops and cafes has open on the empty space beside the road. Single dock has been updated to double dock ignoring the change in the public beach. Castle has replace with the Hotel.
In conclusion, Porth Harbour has suffered from several changes from last many years.
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 harbour in both 2000 and the present day. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear overview of the most significant changes, such as the shift from a maritime-focused area to a more commercial/tourist-oriented one. While the main features are identified, the spatial descriptions are occasionally confusing, such as 'Moving forward to the road had fishing boats'. The report would benefit from a more analytical approach that synthesises the information rather than simply listing changes. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not effectively summarise the key trends observed in the transformation of the harbour.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the past to the present. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and occasionally repetitive. For example, the transition 'Moving forward to the road' is awkward and does not clearly link the spatial elements. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as 'further the road takes us directly to the area of lifeboat', which lacks a clear subject. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the internal flow within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider range of linking words to connect the spatial relationships more effectively.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and incorrect word choices, such as 'has exchange its position' (should be 'have exchanged') and 'Castle has replace with the Hotel' (should be 'replaced by'). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic descriptors. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise terminology for describing maps, such as 'relocated', 'transformed', 'expanded', or 'replaced', and ensure that verb forms are used correctly in context.
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 that occasionally impede clarity. Subject-verb agreement is a recurring issue, for example, 'New shops and cafes has open' (should be 'have opened') and 'Castle has replace' (should be 'The castle has been replaced'). Additionally, there are issues with articles and prepositions, such as 'in the corner it had castle disused'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. More attention to tense consistency and passive voice construction is needed.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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