Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The map illustrate the changes that have taken place in Porth Harbour from 2000 to the present day.

Overall, it is clear that the harbour has undergone considerable development, particularly for tourism. The most significant changes are the replacement of castle to hotel, the conversion of public beach to private beach and the cafes and shops were added.

In 2000, there were two car parks on the western side of the harbour, with showers and toilets located near them. A marina for private yachts is occupied by the northern part and the fishing boats are palced in southern area. There was also a dock and a passenger ferries on the east side of harbour. In southeast side of harbour had castle and lifeboat. Beside the castle public beach is there.

In present, There are two car parks on the western side of the harbour, with having two showers and toilets located near them. A marina for private yachts are changes to southern side of the harbour and fishing boats are occupied by north area.The dock and passenger ferries are remains constant. At the southeast side of harbour castle is converted to hotel, whereas bedide the castle public beach changeover to private beach for the hotel. In addition beside the lifeboat cafes and shops are presented.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the maps well, identifying the key changes such as the conversion of the castle to a hotel and the shift in the marina and fishing boat locations. The overview is clear and highlights the primary trend of tourism-focused development. However, there are some inaccuracies in the reporting of the data; for instance, the student states the dock and ferries 'remain constant', whereas the visual evidence suggests they have been removed or significantly altered. Additionally, some descriptions of locations are slightly imprecise. Overall, the response provides a good summary of the changes, but more careful attention to the specific details of the maps would improve the accuracy of the report.

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. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two time periods. Cohesive devices such as 'In 2000', 'In present', and 'whereas' are used to guide the reader. However, the use of referencing is occasionally mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'In present, There are...' and 'Beside the castle public beach is there'. While the progression of ideas is generally clear, the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that the transition between the past and present descriptions is smoother.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the changes effectively. Words like 'undergone', 'considerable', 'conversion', and 'replacement' are used correctly. However, there are some noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'palced' (spelling), 'are changes to' (should be 'have been moved to'), and 'are remains constant' (should be 'remain'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of the description. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on using more varied and precise vocabulary to describe spatial relationships and changes in infrastructure.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'The map illustrate', 'A marina... are changes') and prepositional usage (e.g., 'in southeast side'). The use of articles is also inconsistent. While the meaning remains clear, these frequent errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevent the response from reaching a higher band. The student should focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring that verb tenses are used consistently when describing past and present states.

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

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