Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-31
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 two plans below illustrate a poth harbour in the year 2000 and how it looks in today's time.
Overall, it is inferred that the most significant changes were shown in the southern side. While, fishing boats and marina (private yachts) are exchanged in today's time.
At first glance, in the western side, showers, toilets and car park still remain unchanged in the plan. Whereas, additional shower and toilets are build near second car park which is connected with the main road. In addition, fishing boats and marina (private yachts) are swipe their place in today's plan. Castle are replaced with hotel in the southern east. Additionally, public beach are remove and now it is considered as private beach for the hotel.
Moving towards further details, in today's plan, public beach is still remained the same. Moreover, a additional dock is added in present plan. Lifeboat are unchanged according to present period attached with other road. Lastly, café and shops are added in the today's plan.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| 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 plans, identifying key changes such as the addition of the hotel, the new dock, and the relocation of facilities. However, the overview is somewhat weak and lacks a clear summary of the most significant trends. There are also some inaccuracies in the description; for instance, the text mentions that the 'public beach' remains the same, while the plan clearly shows it being replaced by a private beach. Additionally, the description of the fishing boats and marina swapping places is slightly confusing. To improve, ensure that all observations are strictly supported by the visual data and provide a more comprehensive overview of the transformation.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'At first glance' and 'Moving towards further details' are used, but the internal flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the mention of 'second car park' without sufficient context. The progression of ideas could be smoother if the writer focused on grouping features logically (e.g., accommodation, transport, and leisure facilities) rather than jumping between different areas of the map.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'poth harbour' (likely a typo for 'port'), 'today's time', and 'swipe their place'. The use of 'are build', 'are remove', and 'are added' shows a limited range of verbs to describe changes. To reach a higher band, the student should use more precise terminology for map descriptions, such as 'converted into', 'demolished', 'extended', or 'constructed', and avoid repetitive sentence structures.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses and passive voice construction. Examples include 'are build' (should be 'were built'), 'public beach are remove' (should be 'was removed'), and 'public beach is still remained' (should be 'remains'). There is also a lack of complex sentence structures, with most sentences being simple or containing errors in subject-verb agreement. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar structures limit the score. Focusing on consistent tense usage—specifically the past tense for 2000 and present for the current state—is essential.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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