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 two maps illustrate the changes and developments in Port Harbour from 2000 to present.

Overall, a number of modifications have been made in Port Harbour, mainly involving showers & toilets, hotel and cafe & shops. It is also noticeable that there are no plans to change in the main road, lifeboat and passenger ferries.

In terms of changes, shower & toilest, car park and main road which were located in the north west side of the harbour have been remained unchanged in the new plan. But an extra shower & toilets has been added between the two cark park.In addition, the direction between main road and harbour has been changed in the new map, and the connection between car park and road in the south east side has been removed.

For the remaining changes, castle located in the south east side has been removed and a hotel has been built in its place. Also, a new path has been created from the hotel to the road located in the south west side. However, a new cafe & shops has been added just beside the lifeboat, while the public beach in the north east side has been remained unchange. Additionally, public beach situated in the south east side has been removed and replaced by private beach. Furthermore, the location of marina and fish boats has been inter-changed between them and location for passenger ferries has been remained unchanged. Finally, the number of boats in the harbour has been reduced.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main features of the harbour and provided a clear overview. You covered the key changes, such as the addition of the hotel, the modification of the beaches, and the relocation of the marina. However, there are some inaccuracies in your reporting; for example, you state the main road remained unchanged, yet you later mention the direction between the road and the harbour changed. Additionally, some descriptions are slightly confusing, such as the claim that the number of boats was reduced, which is not clearly supported by the visual evidence. To reach a higher band, ensure your reporting is precise and consistent with the provided diagrams.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the changes. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'For the remaining changes', and 'Furthermore' to guide the reader. However, the use of referencing is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel slightly repetitive. The paragraphing is appropriate, and there is a clear progression from the overview to the specific details. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases and ensure that the connection between sentences is more fluid rather than relying on standard list-like transitions.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'modifications', 'inter-changed', and 'developments'. However, there are several spelling errors ('toilest', 'cark park', 'unchange') and some awkward phrasing, such as 'the direction between main road and harbour has been changed'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your report. To achieve a higher score, focus on accurate spelling and using more precise collocations when describing spatial changes, such as 'the layout was reconfigured' instead of 'the direction has been changed'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are persistent grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses and passive voice constructions. For example, you write 'have been remained unchanged' (should be 'have remained unchanged') and 'a new cafe & shops has been added' (subject-verb agreement error). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are missing spaces after periods in some instances. To improve, focus on mastering the passive voice for describing changes and ensure subject-verb agreement is consistent throughout your writing.

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

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