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 plans illustrate how the Porth harbour transformed with so many access included from 2000 to now.

Overall, it can be seen that the Porth harbour in 2000 has several features and now its showed some significant changes including with cafe and hotels and many more.

Looking at the first map in more detail, it is evident that the harbour of Porth in 2000 has the main road, showers & toilets, car park, life board public beach, private beach which are remained the same with some small changes.

Turning to the second map, it can be seen that the Porth harbour plan now added so many features. The car park changed and has the direct access of main road and another showers & toilets are added behind the car park in the south west corner. There is also a cafe & shops visible next to the lifeboat which is new one. Marina and fishing boats are exchanged by each others position. Whereas, another dock is installed and the disused castle is replaced by a hotel attached with the private beach.

AI examiner evaluation

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, cafe, and the reconfiguration of the car park. However, the description of the changes is sometimes imprecise. For example, stating that the marina and fishing boats 'exchanged by each others position' is slightly inaccurate based on the visual evidence, and the overview is somewhat generic. To reach a higher band, ensure that the summary highlights the most significant trends—such as the shift from a purely functional harbour to a more tourist-oriented facility—rather than just listing individual changes.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is generally clear, moving from the 2000 layout to the current state. However, the use of cohesive devices is occasionally mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Turning to the second map' and 'Whereas, another dock is installed'. While paragraphing is used appropriately, the transition between sentences could be smoother to improve the flow of information. Overall, the structure is coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the features of the harbour. There are some instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'access included' and 'life board' (likely a misspelling of lifeboat). The phrase 'exchanged by each others position' is also non-standard. While the student attempts to use specific terminology like 'disused castle' and 'marina', the range is somewhat limited. To improve, focus on more precise collocations and ensure accurate terminology for map descriptions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'its showed' instead of 'it shows', and 'which are remained' instead of 'which have remained'. Additionally, the sentence 'The car park changed and has the direct access of main road' lacks appropriate articles and prepositions. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of error-free complex sentences would significantly improve this score.

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

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