Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-21

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 6.0)

The pictorial representation demonstrates the look of Porth Harbour during 2000 and its look at present after renovation.

In the year 2000, the Porth Harbour has a public beach and dock in the northern side of it and passenger ferries are available in the river. Moving towards the north-west, there was a place for private yachts known as Marina. Moving to the left, there was a place for showers and toilets along with the area for car parking. The car parking is connected to the main road in the west.

There was another car parking in the south-west which is connected to the road in the south. Moving towards the south, there was a public beach and a castle which is not in use anymore.

At present, the number of changes is made in the Porth Harbour after redesigning. Earlier, one dock was available now one more dock is added in the north. The places which were occupied for private yachts and fishing boats, is now interchanged their positions with each other. Moving further, the cafes and shops are opened in the south above the road. The castle which was not in use anymore is now constructed as a hotel and the public beach is now used by a hotel as a private beach.

Overall, significant changes are made in the Porth Harbour which makes it more fascinating for the visitors.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main features of the harbour and provided a clear comparison between the two time periods. You covered the key developments, such as the addition of the second dock, the relocation of the yacht and fishing areas, and the conversion of the castle into a hotel. To reach a higher band, ensure you provide a more analytical overview. Instead of just stating that changes were made, highlight the most significant trend, such as the shift from a public-oriented space to a more commercialized, hotel-focused facility. This would provide a more sophisticated summary of the transformation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each time period, and a brief conclusion. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moving towards' and 'At present' to guide the reader. However, the progression within paragraphs is occasionally mechanical. For instance, the repetitive use of 'Moving towards' or 'Moving to' makes the flow feel a bit formulaic. To improve, try to vary your transition signals and use more sophisticated referencing to link ideas, such as 'This area was subsequently replaced by...' or 'In contrast to the previous layout...'.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the changes, using terms like 'renovation', 'redesigning', and 'interchanged'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'the number of changes is made' is unnatural; 'a number of changes were made' would be better. Additionally, 'the places which were occupied for private yachts... is now interchanged' is grammatically awkward. Using more precise vocabulary, such as 'converted', 'transformed', or 'repurposed', would elevate your score. Focus on using collocations that sound more natural in a formal report context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors. For example, 'the Porth Harbour has a public beach' (should be 'had' for 2000), 'is now interchanged their positions' (incorrect passive voice construction), and 'the castle which was not in use anymore is now constructed as a hotel' (tense inconsistency). To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and consistent use of past tenses when describing the 2000 layout. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures while maintaining accuracy will help you reach a higher band.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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