Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The maps illustrate the changes that have taken place in PORTH HARBOUR between 2000 and the present day.

Overall, The harbour has been considerably developed for tourism. The most notable changes are the construction of a hotel,The relocation of the marina and fishing boats, and the addition of cafes and shops. in addition, the public beach is converted into a private beach.

In 2000, there were showers and toilets as well as a car park on the western side of THE HARBOUR, close to the main road.A private -yacht marina was located furter east, while fishing boats were situated in the southern part of the harbour. A lifeboat station stood beside the road. To the northeast, there was a dock with passenger ferries,and a public beach was located further north.In the southeast,there was a disused castle.

Today, the facilities on the western side have been expanded. a second set of showers and toilets and another car park have been added, while the fishing boats have been moved to the former marina area. the private -yacht marina has,in turn, been relocated to the southern side of the harbour. cafes and shops have also been constructed beside the road.

The disused castle has been replaced by a hotel, and the nearby public beach has become a private beach for hotel guests. meanwhile, the lifeboat station and passenger ferries facilities remain, although the dock has been modified

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully identified the main features of the harbour and provided a clear comparison between the two time periods. The overview effectively highlights the shift towards tourism, such as the addition of cafes and the conversion of the beach. You have covered all key changes, including the relocation of the marina and the replacement of the castle with a hotel. To improve, ensure that you consistently use precise terminology for spatial relationships; for instance, describing the specific movement of the fishing boats and the marina helps the reader visualize the changes more clearly. Overall, the response is well-structured and addresses the prompt comprehensively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that separate the 2000 layout from the current layout. You use some cohesive devices effectively, such as 'In 2000', 'Today', and 'meanwhile'. However, there are some minor issues with punctuation and capitalization that occasionally disrupt the flow, such as the inconsistent capitalization of 'THE HARBOUR' and missing spaces after commas. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring consistent paragraph formatting would enhance the overall cohesion. Despite these minor mechanical issues, the progression of ideas remains clear throughout the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the changes, using terms like 'relocation', 'constructed', 'modified', and 'disused'. The vocabulary is generally accurate and appropriate for an Academic Task 1 report. There are a few minor errors, such as 'furter' (spelling) and the slightly awkward phrasing 'private -yacht marina'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or synonyms for movement and change, such as 'transformed', 'converted into', or 'situated in the vicinity of'. Overall, your lexical control is adequate and allows for clear communication of the visual information.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical and mechanical errors, particularly regarding capitalization (e.g., 'the harbour', 'a second set') and punctuation (e.g., missing spaces after commas). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic punctuation rules, such as ensuring a space follows every comma and that sentences begin with a capital letter. Strengthening your control over these minor mechanical aspects will significantly improve the professional quality of your writing.

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

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