Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-03

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 maps illustrate the layout of a Porth Harbour in 2000 and its current layout.

Overall, it is evident that the Porth Harbour has been revolutionized now. More facilities have been introduced in Porth harbour including cafes, shops, private beach and hotel. Additionally, in 2000 there was only 2 passenger ferries and 1 dock. Now 1 more passenger ferry and 1 more dock has been introduced.

In 2000, there was a main road at the west border of the porth harbour which was connected to the car park at the north and at the south the road was extended from west southern to southeastern. At the end of that road there was a lifeboat . At the northwestern corner there was showers and toilets, beneath of that there was the marina. South to marina the fishing boats were located. There was a castle at the southeastern corner of the harbour, west of it was a public beach. Opposite to it there was a space for dock which was surrounded by passenger ferries from both sides. Moreover east to dock there was another public beach.

Today, the porth harbour has been well developed. The main road, car parkings, lifeboat are located at the same place, while fishing boat and maria have been shuffled. In past there was showers and toilets at only one place, but now these have also been introduced at another place. Now north to both car parkings there are showers and toilets. The cafes and shops have been established west to the lifeboat. Moreover, castle has been replaced by hotel, west to which public beach has been replaced by private beach. As the dock, passenger ferries and public beach are at the similar location. However, additional dock and passenger ferry have been introduced there.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the two maps, including the additions of the hotel, cafes, and shops, as well as the expansion of the dock and ferry facilities. You successfully identify the main changes and make relevant comparisons between 2000 and the present. However, the description of the layout is occasionally cluttered with excessive detail, which makes it slightly harder to follow the overall transformation. To improve, focus on grouping related changes (e.g., infrastructure vs. commercial facilities) more clearly to ensure the 'main features' stand out more prominently for the reader.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices like 'Additionally,' 'Moreover,' and 'However' to link ideas. However, the progression within the second body paragraph is somewhat mechanical. The use of referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'beneath of that' or 'opposite to it,' which requires the reader to work harder to visualize the map. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that spatial references are precise will help the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'revolutionized,' 'facilities,' and 'established.' There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'car parkings' (which should be 'car parks') and 'maria' (likely a misspelling of 'marina'). Additionally, phrases like 'shuffled' are slightly informal for an academic report. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise geographical and descriptive vocabulary, such as 'relocated,' 'transformed,' or 'situated,' and ensure accurate spelling of key terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the Porth Harbour' vs 'Porth harbour') and prepositions ('at the west border,' 'north to both car parkings'). There are also issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'there was only 2 passenger ferries.' While these errors rarely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on consistent tense usage and correct prepositional phrases will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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