Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-23

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 4.0)

in 2000 ,porth harbour showers towel and car park in left side with main road.marina is combined with showels towels on the left side of river.in river many fishing boats and passengers ferries.and the other way is that the road to car on parking and move to lifeboat .and the end of the river one of the public beach which people stay it.

now today porth harbour is same but a little chnges in it like replacing marina with fishing boats.in river a new dock was placed .and here a one public beach.

and the other way one make more showers towels and a car park with combine a marina .and now many cafes shopes are made in this route . on this road a hotel was placed in it.and one more a private hotel in this place

now a small difference in today was a new showers and towels and cafe shos hotel and private beach .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response attempts to describe the changes in Porth Harbour, but it fails to provide a clear overview or a logical summary of the main features. The description is fragmented and lacks the necessary precision to convey the spatial changes effectively. Many details are unclear, such as the repeated mention of 'showers and towels,' which seems to be a misinterpretation of the visual data. The response does not adequately compare the two time periods, and the lack of a clear structure makes it difficult to follow the development of the harbour. To improve, you must focus on identifying the most significant changes (e.g., the expansion of the marina, the addition of new facilities) and presenting them in a structured, analytical manner.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The response lacks logical organization. There is no clear progression of ideas, and the paragraphing is ineffective, with sentences appearing as a series of disjointed observations. Cohesive devices are almost entirely absent, making the text feel like a list of disconnected points rather than a coherent report. The referencing is often confusing, particularly when describing the location of features (e.g., 'the other way is that the road...'). To improve, you should use clear topic sentences for each paragraph and employ linking words such as 'whereas,' 'in contrast,' 'subsequently,' and 'additionally' to guide the reader through the comparison.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary is very limited and repetitive, often relying on inaccurate terminology. For example, the repeated use of 'showers and towels' to describe facilities is likely a misidentification of the map's features. There are frequent spelling errors, such as 'chnges,' 'shopes,' and 'shos,' which impede readability. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to describe the map with any degree of sophistication or precision. To improve, you should learn specific vocabulary related to map descriptions, such as 'converted into,' 'expanded,' 'relocated,' 'constructed,' and 'demolished,' and ensure you are accurately identifying the features shown in the diagrams.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The grammatical control is weak, with frequent errors in sentence structure, punctuation, and article usage. Many sentences are incomplete or lack a clear subject-verb agreement, such as 'in river many fishing boats and passengers ferries.' The use of basic sentence structures is prevalent, and there is no evidence of complex grammatical forms. Punctuation is inconsistent, with missing capital letters at the start of sentences and erratic spacing. To improve, focus on constructing complete, grammatically correct sentences and practice using a wider variety of structures, including passive voice, which is essential for describing changes in a formal report.

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

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