Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-02
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 given maps represent a plan of porth harbour in 2000 and how it looks now.
Overall, there are several changes that are done in porth harbour from 2000 to now. The most significant change is construction of cafes and shops in south direction near lifeboat area. Another important change is replacing of castle on the south west direction of map by hotel.
On the north-west side, marina area was there in 2000 for private yachts which is now interchanged by fishing boats area and new showers and toilets are constructed near by the main road. Furthermore, in 2000 there was only one dock entrance in north but now two dock parking is constructed. Moreover, car parking in west side is now linked with the main road.
In addition, a new cafes and shops are now open near a road which links to lifeboat area in south direction. Moreover, a hotel is constructed in place of castle on the south-east side on a island along with that facility of private beach is also available for people who stay in hotel.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
You have successfully identified the main features of the harbour, such as the construction of cafes, the replacement of the castle with a hotel, and the changes to the marina and dock areas. You have also made relevant comparisons between 2000 and the present day. However, there are some inaccuracies in your reporting; for instance, you mention the hotel is on the 'south-east' side, whereas it is clearly located on the south-west side. Additionally, the description of the dock entrance is slightly confusing. To improve, ensure that your directional references are precise and that you clearly distinguish between the two time periods to avoid ambiguity.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific areas of the harbour. You use cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Moreover', and 'In addition' to link your ideas. However, the progression of information is occasionally repetitive, and some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when describing the location of the new facilities. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring that pronouns or references clearly point to the intended features would help elevate your score in this criterion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'significant change', 'constructed', and 'interchanged'. However, there are some word choice errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'two dock parking is constructed' and 'facility of private beach'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your report. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more varied and precise vocabulary related to maps and urban development, such as 'replaced by', 'converted into', or 'extended'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include missing articles ('in south direction', 'on a island'), subject-verb agreement issues ('a new cafes and shops are'), and awkward phrasing ('replacing of castle'). While these errors rarely impede the reader's understanding, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on mastering the use of articles and ensuring that your subjects and verbs agree, especially when describing plural nouns like 'cafes' and 'shops'.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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