Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-24

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 6.5)

The maps above provide insight about differences in the Porth Harbour in 2000 and today.

It is evident from the above plans that there is a lot of change in the area in compared to the past. We can observe that there is no change in areas near main road in the northern east, whereas, there is additional showers and toilets at the eastern south close to main road. The public beach at the bottom has been replaced by private beach for the hotel which lies just at the right side of the beach. There was a castle in the current location of the hotel. Likewise, the placement of fishing boats and marina (private yacht) have been interchanged. Additionally, there are changes in the number of docks and passenger ferries from 1 to 2 and 2 to 3 respectively. New cafes and shops have been operated just beside the lifeboat. Furthermore, the area of lifeboat remains constant.

Hence, though there are a lot of changes in the locations of the areas, the physical layout remains similar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main features of the maps well, identifying key changes such as the replacement of the castle with a hotel, the relocation of the marina and fishing boats, and the addition of facilities. However, the overview is somewhat weak; it lacks a clear summary of the most significant trends or transformations. While the response addresses the task requirements, the description of locations is occasionally imprecise (e.g., 'northern east' and 'eastern south' are not standard geographical descriptors). To reach a higher band, ensure that the overview highlights the most striking changes, such as the shift from a more industrial/fishing-focused harbour to one catering more to tourism and private leisure.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, moving from a general introduction to specific changes and concluding with a brief summary. The use of cohesive devices like 'Likewise', 'Additionally', and 'Furthermore' helps to connect ideas, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is present, but the response would benefit from a more distinct separation between the introduction, the body paragraphs detailing the changes, and the concluding overview. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow between sentences could be improved by varying the sentence structure to avoid a repetitive list-like feel.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing for a clear description of the changes. You successfully use terms like 'interchanged', 'remains constant', and 'replaced'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'additional showers and toilets' (should be 'new' or 'the addition of') and 'have been operated' (which is passive and slightly unnatural in this context). To improve, focus on using more precise terminology for map descriptions, such as 'converted into', 'expanded', or 'situated', and ensure that your directional language is accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'in compared to the past' (should be 'compared to the past') and 'the area of lifeboat' (should be 'the lifeboat area'). Additionally, there are minor issues with articles and prepositions, such as 'at the eastern south' instead of 'in the south-east'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of complex structures and ensuring subject-verb agreement will help improve your accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.