Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The plan illustrates the change into Harbour in 2000 and today.
Overall, it is clear that some changing are happen marina's(private yachts) place replaced with fishing boats. Today's plan shows that enhancement of shower and toilets and now public beech used for hotel rather than castle disused.
In 2000, the marina was at the west side and upper the fishing boats of the main road while in today's plan the the fishing boats are at the place of marina (private yachts). However, in 2000, there was only one shower and toilet area on west side, now there are two areas of shower and toilet up to the south car park.
In 2000, although, there were two boats in today's plan there is expansion of one more boat at dock site. in today's plan there is also cafes and shops on the left side of lifeboat. In 2000, there was a castle disused on the east west corner while now there is a hotel and private beech is used for hotel.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the harbour plans, including the relocation of the marina and fishing boats, the addition of amenities, and the conversion of the castle into a hotel. However, the overview is somewhat disjointed and lacks a clear, cohesive summary of the most significant changes. Some details, such as the specific locations (e.g., 'east west corner'), are slightly confusing or imprecise. While the key information is present, the reporting of these features could be more structured to ensure a clearer comparison between the two time periods.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow between sentences is often mechanical and sometimes confusing. The use of cohesive devices is limited and occasionally inaccurate, such as the awkward transition 'In 2000, although, there were two boats'. Referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the spatial changes described. The paragraphing is present, but the internal logic within the paragraphs needs to be strengthened to ensure a smoother progression of ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'some changing are happen' and 'public beech used for hotel rather than castle disused'. The student relies on basic terminology and struggles with collocations related to describing maps or plans. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the lack of sophisticated or precise vocabulary limits the score in this criterion.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('some changing are happen'), incorrect article usage ('the marina was at the west side'), and awkward sentence structures ('upper the fishing boats of the main road'). While there is an attempt to use complex sentences, these are often faulty. The control over basic grammar is inconsistent, and punctuation errors are present throughout the text.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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