Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-30
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 map illustrates the porth harbour (in 2000) and how it looks currently.
Overall, the harbour was changed by so many new places and include the facilities of hospitality and more boats.The dock was doubled in the northern side and the hotel which was rebuild in the area of Castel purchase the pubic beach and now it is private which is only of the hotel.
As depicted in the map, on the north side one more dock was builded and extra two boats were added. The cafe and shops were added on the left side of the lifeboat.While, castel is replaced by the hotel and the public which is on the left side is now private for hotel.
On the western side of the map, the route of the car park is stick to the mainroad. Showers and toilets were build onto the north side of the both car parks.Moreover , Fishing boats and marina (private yachts) both were placed in the opposite site.
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's development, such as the expansion of the dock, the addition of facilities, and the change in land use from a castle to a hotel. However, the report is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, analytical overview. While the main changes are identified, the description of the 'public beach' being replaced by a private hotel area is a key detail that is captured, but the overall summary could be more cohesive. The response addresses the prompt adequately but lacks the sophisticated selection of data points required for a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and occasionally awkward, such as 'While, castel is replaced...' and 'On the western side of the map...'. The progression of ideas is logical, moving from a general overview to specific details, but the transitions between sentences could be smoother. Some referencing is slightly unclear, and the overall flow is functional rather than fluid.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is limited and occasionally imprecise. There are errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'the route of the car park is stick to the mainroad' and 'placed in the opposite site'. The student relies on basic descriptive language and struggles to use more precise terminology related to map interpretation, such as 'situated', 'adjacent to', or 'transformed'. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety and precision limits the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'the harbour was changed by so many new places', 'the hotel which was rebuild', and 'one more dock was builded'. These errors, particularly with verb forms and passive voice construction, are noticeable. While the errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to suggest a lack of control over complex structures, keeping the score in the 5.0–5.5 range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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