Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-01
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 given plans depicts how the Porth harbour used to look in 2000 and how it looks in todays's time
Overall,the harbour undergone through some significant changes from 2000 to today, in 2000 the harbour was not much busy but today it looks chaotic.
In 2000 there was a main road on in west connecting with the carpark which was in south of shower and toilets.The marina(private yatchs) were next to shower and toilets.There was a dock in the east of marina.There was public beach beside dock.There were fishing boats just below marina.An another car park connecting to the road which was in west of fishing boats.There was a lifeboat in north west of the castle, the castle was between life boat and public beach
In today's time many things got added up now there are 2 docks in the north harbour beside the public beach.Another showers and toilets are added up in between of both car parks.Some cafes and shops are added in between marina and lifeboat.The castle is now replaced by the hotel and public beach is now a private beach for the hotel
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers the main features of the harbour in both 2000 and the present day. You have identified key changes such as the addition of docks, cafes, and the transformation of the castle into a hotel. However, the overview is somewhat simplistic; describing the harbour as 'chaotic' is a subjective interpretation rather than a factual summary of the spatial changes. To reach a higher band, ensure your overview highlights the most significant trends, such as the expansion of commercial facilities and the shift toward tourism. The description of locations is generally accurate, though some details could be more precisely integrated to show a clearer comparison between the two time periods.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the past to the present. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and sometimes mechanical. For instance, you rely heavily on simple sentence structures and lack a variety of linking words to connect ideas smoothly. Phrases like 'In 2000' and 'In today's time' are used repeatedly, which makes the flow feel a bit repetitive. Improving the use of transition signals (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in contrast') would significantly enhance the logical flow and cohesion of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You use basic terms like 'things got added up' and 'not much busy', which are informal and imprecise. There are also some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'in todays's time' (should be 'today' or 'the present day') and 'yatchs' (spelling error: 'yachts'). To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to urban planning and development, such as 'expanded', 'converted', 'redeveloped', or 'commercialised', to describe the changes more professionally.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including missing articles ('in west', 'in south of shower'), incorrect prepositions ('in between of'), and punctuation issues (missing spaces after commas). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the overall clarity. To improve, focus on mastering the use of articles and prepositions, and try to vary your sentence structure by using more complex clauses to describe the spatial relationships between the different features of the harbour.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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