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)
A cursory glance over the given map depicts the information about how the Porth Harbour looked in 2000 and shown after the changes at present. The following description is going to elaborate on the whole process.
Overall, it has been vividly manifested that there are several changes occur during the given time period with the addition and removal of amenities.
Having a brief look at the map that shows the year 2000 it is evident that there was a main road on the left side and two car parks situated on the opposite side that connected with the road whereas a place for showers and toilets located beside the car park on the north side. In addition, there was a road in the southward which joined with the sea at the end towards the south-east direction and a lifeboat was there. However, several passenger ferries roaming in the sea with a rectangular dock area whether some private jets as well as fishing boats located in the north-west direction across the car parks. The public beach was located along the sea on the north facing, adjacent to the castle.
Moving forward to see the developing Porth Harbour, most of the places are intact like before though some changes occur. However, there is another dock has created because of the tourists rush in the summers. Likewise, new cafes and shops has been constructed near the road in the south direction and new road going on towards the castle which was converted into hotel now. Nevertheless, a beach on the south side which is changed from public to private beach for the hotel.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the maps, including the addition of a new dock, the conversion of the castle into a hotel, and the change in beach status. However, the description is occasionally imprecise. For instance, the mention of 'private jets' is likely a misinterpretation of the visual data, and the spatial descriptions (e.g., 'roaming in the sea') are somewhat unnatural for a formal report. While the main trends are identified, the overview is a bit generic and could be more specific regarding the nature of the developments to better highlight the transformation of the harbour.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression from the introduction to the overview and the body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'However', and 'Moving forward' are used to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'whether some private jets', which disrupts the flow. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal cohesion within the second body paragraph could be improved to better connect the various changes described.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, but there are instances of inaccurate word choice and awkward collocations. Examples include 'tourists rush' (should be 'influx of tourists'), 'roaming in the sea' (inappropriate for ships), and 'vividly manifested'. While the student attempts to use descriptive language, the lack of precision in terminology limits the score. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, but it lacks the flexibility and natural control required for a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('changes occur' instead of 'changes occurred'; 'another dock has created' instead of 'has been created'; 'new cafes and shops has been constructed'). Punctuation is generally functional, but some sentences are clunky or grammatically incomplete. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the response from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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