Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-27

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 diagram below, illustrates the information about the before and after view of a porth harbour constructed in the year 2000.

Overall, the visual data depicts that the castle was replaced with a hotel and a washroom was also added in between of the two carparks. And many more changes will be discussed in upcoming paragraphs.

In the year, 2000 there was a main road leading on the west side of the harbour along with car parking area, place for parking private yachts and so on . And at the north side there was a public beach for the residents living there. Besides this, a dock was located for the submission of ferries and to take people and vehicles from one place to another. And in the south - east direction there was a castle located for the disuse of imported material.

Now, taking the today view of the harbour, The main road remain the same but the blocks near to it changed a lot. As we can see a new washroom is added for people situated on the destination. Furthermore, fishing boats and private yachts were replaced with each other. Additionally, one more passenger ferry was added to the dock. Apart from this, castle was replaced with a hotel and cafes and shops were added near to fishing boat area.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the harbour plans, identifying key changes such as the replacement of the castle with a hotel and the addition of new facilities. However, the report lacks a clear, analytical overview. The second paragraph is somewhat informal and includes a meta-commentary ('many more changes will be discussed') which is inappropriate for an academic report. While the main features are identified, the comparison between the two time periods could be more precise, and the description of the layout is occasionally vague, such as 'blocks near to it changed a lot'. To improve, focus on grouping information logically and providing a more professional summary of the overall trends.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the past to the present. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'And' at the start of sentences. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when describing locations ('the destination', 'the blocks'). The flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed, and the transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would enhance the coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the changes in the harbour. However, there are several instances of imprecise or unnatural word choices, such as 'submission of ferries' (likely meaning 'docking' or 'arrival') and 'today view of the harbour'. The phrase 'disuse of imported material' is also confusing and likely inaccurate in context. While the student attempts to use specific terminology, the lack of precision in word choice limits the score. Expanding the range of vocabulary to include more precise descriptive terms for spatial layouts and changes would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including issues with articles ('the castle was replaced', 'the today view'), prepositions ('in between of'), and tense consistency. Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'fishing boats and private yachts were replaced with each other'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on improving accuracy in sentence construction and ensuring consistent use of verb tenses when describing past and present states.

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.