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 given map illustrates the redevelopments occured recently in a Porth harbour as compared to 2000 layout.

Overall, the basic layout of the Porth harbour remain unchanged. But there are some new advancements occured such as building cafe shops & private beach in the south direction which is not existed before.

To commence with, comparing with the old map the main roads, public beach, Passenger ferries, car pack, lifeboats has been there in their original geographical locations. Therefore, the fishing boats and Marina (private yachts) swapped with their each other position but remained on the same west side. Additionally, there is a new introduction of private beach on the southeast side united with a hotel. Subsequently, there is a addition of one more extra docks for accomodating passengers which is in northeast direction along with other two docks. Atlast, there are considerable amount of changes occured in noticeable amount of time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the harbour, such as the addition of the hotel, private beach, and the expansion of the docks. However, the description is somewhat superficial. For instance, the mention of 'considerable amount of changes' is vague and lacks specific detail regarding the scale of the transformation. While the main features are identified, the comparison between the two maps could be more precise; for example, the student notes that the fishing boats and marina swapped positions, which is a good observation, but the overall summary lacks a clear, analytical overview of the transformation from a purely functional harbour to a more tourist-oriented facility.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organised into logical paragraphs, starting with an introduction, an overview, and a body paragraph. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To commence with', 'Additionally', and 'Subsequently', though some are used mechanically or slightly inappropriately (e.g., 'Atlast' is informal and incorrectly used as a transition). The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the referencing is occasionally confusing, such as the phrase 'swapped with their each other position', which hinders the flow of information. Paragraphing is present but could be better balanced to separate the overview from the detailed analysis.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'redevelopments occured recently', 'cafe shops', and 'car pack' (likely meant 'car park'). The use of 'not existed before' is grammatically weak. While the student attempts to describe the changes, the range of vocabulary is limited, and the errors in collocation (e.g., 'new introduction of private beach') occasionally draw attention to the language rather than the content.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('layout... remain', 'advancements occured'), incorrect verb tenses ('which is not existed'), and awkward phrasing ('swapped with their each other position'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of ampersands and informal transitions. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the response from reaching a higher band score.

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

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