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 plans illustrate the changes that have been taken place in Porth Harbour between 2000 and the present day.
Overall, it is clear that harbour has undergone significant changes. The Harbour has been transformed from a small fishing port into a facility focused on tourism and leisure. While the shape and some facilities in Harbour remain unchanged, most of the buildings replaced with amenities for visitors and yacht owners.
In 2000, Harbour was mainly used for fishing purposes by fishing boats, a public beech was located on the eastern side of the Harbour. Some buildings like Showers and toilets, Car park, and a private yachts were located on the western side. Additionally, there was a Dock and Passenger ferries. Life boat was nearly closed to Public beach located at the lower southern side of the Harbour.
By today, the fishing boats and the private yachts have been replaced with each other. Showers and toilets, Car parks remained the same. Cafes and Shops were constructed closed to Lifeboat. Castle was demolished and Hotel was constructed there. Public beach was converted into Private beach for the hotel. While, Dock and Passenger ferries remained unchanged.
Conclusively, the Harbour was converted from a commercial area to relaxing site.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response successfully identifies the main features of the harbour's transformation. You have clearly highlighted the shift from a fishing-oriented port to a leisure-focused one, noting key changes like the demolition of the castle and the conversion of the public beach. However, the report lacks precision in some areas; for instance, stating that fishing boats and private yachts were 'replaced with each other' is confusing and inaccurate based on the visual data. To reach a higher band, ensure that comparisons are logically sound and that all spatial descriptions are precise, avoiding vague phrasing like 'nearly closed to'.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. There is a clear progression of ideas from the 2000 layout to the current state. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally repetitive. For example, the transition 'By today' is non-standard; 'Currently' or 'In the present day' would be more appropriate. Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, such as the use of 'While' at the start of a sentence without a proper contrastive clause. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'transformed', 'amenities', and 'demolished' correctly. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and minor errors, such as 'relaxing site' (should be 'leisure destination') and 'beech' (spelling error for 'beach'). The phrase 'replaced with each other' is also lexically imprecise. To improve, focus on using more sophisticated collocations related to urban development and ensure accurate spelling of key terms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles (e.g., 'the Harbour', 'a public beech', 'a private yachts') and verb tenses (e.g., 'changes that have been taken place'). There are also issues with prepositions, such as 'constructed closed to' instead of 'constructed near'. These errors occur throughout the text and, while they do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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