Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-22

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 maps illustrate the changes that took place in harbour between 2000 and today.

Overall, the area underwent significant changes, with cafes and shop and hotel being the most noticeable changes. In addition, marina (private yachts) replaced with fishing boats. Moreover marina moved in fishing boat place.

In 2000, castle disused was located near the private beach. There is also public beach in the north east corner of the map.

Today, castle disused had been replaced by hotel in east south corner. Furthermore, cafes and shops was constructed center of the map, while showers and toilets was expanded.

The lifeboat was located beside the cafes and shops. There is a main road which connect car parking area. there is also sea area

Overall, the area became more residential, more commercial, more accessible. There are significant change from 2000 to today.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which negatively impacts the score. While you have identified the main features of the harbour, the description is somewhat superficial. You mention the hotel and cafes, but the analysis lacks detail regarding the spatial layout and the specific nature of the changes (e.g., the removal of the fishing boats and the expansion of the marina). The overview is present but could be more integrated. To improve, ensure you provide a more comprehensive summary of the key trends and include more specific comparisons between the two time periods to fully address the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'In addition', 'Moreover', 'Furthermore'). Some sentences feel disjointed, particularly in the third and fourth paragraphs, where the flow of information is interrupted by abrupt transitions. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'in fishing boat place'. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that your sentences flow logically from one to the next, rather than listing features in isolation.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. You rely on basic descriptors like 'significant changes' and 'replaced'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choice errors, such as 'castle disused' instead of 'disused castle' and 'east south corner' instead of 'south-east corner'. To improve, try to incorporate more specific vocabulary related to map descriptions, such as 'transformed', 'converted', 'relocated', or 'extended', and pay closer attention to word order and standard geographical terminology.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There is a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. You have frequent errors with articles (e.g., 'in harbour', 'in fishing boat place') and subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'cafes and shops was constructed'). Additionally, there are issues with tense usage, such as 'castle disused had been replaced', which is grammatically incorrect in this context. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, particularly the use of articles and pluralisation, and ensure that your verb tenses are consistent when describing past and present states.

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

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