Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-04
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)
This picture illustrates the changes in the plan of Porth harbour in present and back in 2000.
In 2000, there were two car parkings and one washroom which is alongside the main road. Marina, which is the space for private yachts, was present in the north side of the harbour just besides the washroom and car parking. In the north-east of the harbour, a single dock for passenger ferries and a public beach is present. Coming towards the south of the harbour, there is space for fishing boats just opposite to marina. A road branches off the main road towards east which leads towards the lifeboat. On the south-east corner of the harbour is stranded castle which is not used by anyone and there is a small public beach just left to the castle and opposite to lifeboat.
Significant changes are made in present time as there are two washrooms and car parkings and have there own designated roads now branching off from main road. Location of fishing boats and Marina have been interchanged. There are now two docks instead of one. Cafes and shops are built between Marina and lifeboat. Caslte has now been renovated into a hotel with its own route from the road the public beach besides it is now under hotel's property.
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 in 2000 and the present day. You have identified key changes, such as the renovation of the castle, the addition of cafes, and the relocation of the marina and fishing boats. However, the overview is missing. A Band 7+ response requires a clear summary of the most significant trends or changes at the beginning or end of the report. Additionally, some descriptions are slightly imprecise, such as referring to the castle as 'stranded' rather than 'ruined' or 'old'. To improve, ensure you provide a clear overview that highlights the transformation from a functional harbour to a more commercialized tourist destination.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organized into three paragraphs, which is a logical structure for a comparison task. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'In 2000', 'Coming towards', and 'Significant changes are made'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between describing the 2000 layout and the current layout could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, but some sentences feel like a list of locations rather than a cohesive description of a spatial layout. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring better paragraph transitions would elevate the score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the features of the harbour, such as 'designated roads', 'interchanged', and 'renovated'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, 'car parkings' is incorrect; 'car parks' is the standard term. 'Stranded castle' is also an unusual collocation in this context, where 'ruined' or 'derelict' would be more appropriate. There are also minor spelling errors like 'Caslte'. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise terminology for geographical features and ensuring correct pluralization of nouns.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'have there own designated roads' should be 'have their own', and 'in present time' should be 'at present' or 'currently'. There are also issues with article usage, such as 'in the north side' (should be 'on the north side') and 'opposite to marina' (should be 'opposite the marina'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent article usage.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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