Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-26
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 maps illustrate the changes taken place from the year 2000 to now in the harbour.
Overall, the porth harbour undergoes a significant development such as the dock, shower & toilets, the hotel as well as cafes $ shops over the period.
Examining the development in the year 2000, northern east corner covered the area of the showers & toilets, a car park with Marina private yachts as well as on the opposite side the dock, public beach as well as passenger ferries was there. On the south side a car park, fishing boats, a lifeboat and castle was situated.
After the new developments, today harbour renovated with great facilities. The number of dock and showers & toilets are increased. While public beach and passenger ferries are remained same over the period. The place for fishing boat and marina are exchanged with each other. There are new facility of cafes & shops are introduced near to the lifeboat. A castle was replaced by hotel with private beach only use for them as well as road connect to the hotel now. However, the main road remain unchanged which connects to the car park.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers the main features of the harbour in 2000 and the present day. You successfully identified key changes, such as the addition of the hotel, the expansion of facilities, and the relocation of the fishing boats and marina. However, the overview is slightly weak; while it mentions 'significant development', it could be more specific about the nature of the transformation (e.g., the shift from a functional fishing harbour to a more tourist-oriented facility). The description of the layout is generally accurate, though some details, such as the 'northern east corner', are slightly imprecise. Overall, you have addressed all parts of the task effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the past and present states. You use some cohesive devices like 'while', 'however', and 'after the new developments' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by repetitive sentence structures and some awkward phrasing, such as 'the place for fishing boat and marina are exchanged with each other'. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the transition between the description of the 2000 layout and the current layout could be smoother to improve the overall progression of information.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'renovated', 'facilities', and 'significant development'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'changes taken place' (should be 'changes that have taken place') and 'only use for them' (should be 'for their exclusive use'). Additionally, the use of symbols like '$' for 'and' is inappropriate for formal writing. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise vocabulary to describe spatial relationships and changes, rather than relying on basic verbs like 'are' or 'is'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and article usage (e.g., 'northern east corner covered the area', 'the number of dock... are increased', 'a castle was replaced by hotel'). Some sentences are also slightly ungrammatical, such as 'today harbour renovated with great facilities'. These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader, though they do not prevent the message from being understood. Increasing the accuracy of basic grammar and proofreading for pluralization would significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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