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 first given plans shows the porth harbour in 2000 and the second one shows the same harbour today. But it has been changed throughout the years.
The overall area of the port remained the same from 2000 to until now. But it undergoes certain changes specifically the various recreational sites have added.
Firstly, the cafes and shops has been introduced to the site. By constructing the hotel at the place of the castle, which was disused, a pathway has been provided to it. Some showers and toilets can also be seen in the western side of the marina., which are newly added. Moreover, a dock has been added alongside the previous one.
Secondly, some modifications can also be seen in the porth harbour. For example, the fishing boats and the marina zone have exchanged their place. Additionally, the car park at southern corner has been created a way to the main road.
However, the public beach area remained the same throughout the years.
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
The response covers the main features of the harbour plans, including the addition of recreational facilities and the relocation of the marina and fishing boats. However, the overview is somewhat weak; it mentions the area remained the same, which is not clearly supported by the visual data. While the main changes are identified, the description of the 'hotel at the place of the castle' is slightly inaccurate as the castle was replaced by the hotel, not just used as a site. To improve, ensure the overview highlights the most significant trends, such as the shift from a functional fishing port to a more tourist-oriented recreational marina, and ensure all spatial descriptions are precise.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Moreover' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'the same harbour' in the introduction. The paragraphing is sufficient, but the logical flow between the specific changes could be smoother. The use of 'But' at the start of sentences is informal for an Academic Task 1 response; using 'However' or 'Nevertheless' would be more appropriate for this task type.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe the changes clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'recreational sites' and 'modifications'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'exchanged their place' (should be 'swapped locations' or 'were relocated') and 'created a way to' (should be 'provided access to'). Spelling is generally accurate, but the range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic descriptors that do not fully capture the transformation of the harbour.
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 subject-verb agreement issues ('plans shows', 'cafes and shops has been introduced') and awkward phrasing ('the car park... has been created a way to'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the placement of commas, such as in the sentence regarding the showers and toilets. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. Increasing the variety of error-free complex sentences would help improve this score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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