Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The preceding map demonstrates the changes in Porth Harbour over two different time periods.

Overall, the Harbour experienced some additions and replacements, although a few things remained unchanged.

We can clearly notice that there was an extension in the dock. The northern showers and toilets, and the car park all did not witness any changes. In addition, the marina was replaced by fishing boats. The passenger ferries located to the east of the dock didn't see any new work.

Moreover, the southern car park remained were it always was. New showers and toilets were developed north this car park. Furthermore, cafes and shops were constructed west the lifeboat, and north the road. The disused castle was reconstructed into a hotel, which includes a private beach located to the west of it. The southern fishing boats were substituted with marina. There is a new road that was built and it leads to the hotel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the maps well, identifying key changes such as the dock extension, the hotel conversion, and the relocation of facilities. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the general trends. However, there are some inaccuracies in the reporting of details; for instance, the student states the southern fishing boats were substituted with a marina, whereas the map shows the marina was moved to the south and the original marina area was replaced by fishing boats. Additionally, some descriptions are slightly vague, such as 'north this car park' instead of 'to the north of this car park'. Despite these minor errors, the main features are sufficiently highlighted.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', and 'In addition' helps to guide the reader through the changes. However, the paragraphing is slightly unbalanced, and some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, though the lack of prepositions in phrases like 'developed north this car park' and 'west the lifeboat' disrupts the flow and makes the spatial relationships slightly harder to follow. Overall, the progression of information is logical and easy to track.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the changes effectively. Words like 'reconstructed', 'substituted', and 'disused' are used appropriately. However, there are some issues with collocation and preposition usage, such as 'remained were it always was' (should be 'where') and 'developed north this car park' (missing 'of'). These errors do not impede communication, but they limit the precision of the description. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on more accurate prepositional phrases and varied verbs to describe spatial changes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with prepositions and word order. Examples include 'remained were it always was', 'developed north this car park', and 'west the lifeboat'. These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding the intended meaning. The use of passive voice ('were constructed', 'was reconstructed') is appropriate for this task type. To improve, the student should proofread for basic grammatical accuracy and ensure that spatial descriptions are grammatically complete.

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

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