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)

The diagram compares the layout of a harbor in 2000 and its current appearance.

Overall, some features have remained the same such as public beach, main road, lifeboat car park, showers, toilets and passenger ferries. while some thing have been replaced with each other. Some new facilities like cafes, shops, showers and toilet have been added.

In 2000, Port Harbor consisted of a main road located in the west and a public beach in the east having Dock nearby it. Castle was situated in the southeast corner while public beach was located in the south. A small road was branches off from the main road and led to the lifeboat station. There was a car on the northern side of this road. There were showers and toilets facilities in the northern, with the cars park directly below them. A marina was spotted to the east of both shower & toilets facilities and the car park, while the car park was directly connected to the main road. There was fishing boats between the lifeboat and the car park and a passenger ferries was occurred between the lifeboat and Dock.

Regarding the second diagram, it explains the current position of port harbor. There is the addition of some new facilities such as, showers & toilets between both the car park stations and there is the cafes& shops just in the east of lifeboat. The area occupied by Castle in 200 has been replaced by a hotel, while public beach has been replaced by private beach for the hotel. The marina in 200o has been replaced by fishing boats, while the area occupied by fishing boats in 2000 has been replaced by marina.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features and provided a clear overview of the changes. You covered the key developments, such as the replacement of the castle with a hotel and the swapping of the marina and fishing boat areas. However, the report lacks precision in spatial description. For instance, stating 'a small road was branches off' is grammatically incorrect, and some descriptions of locations are vague or confusing. To improve, ensure you clearly contrast the 'before' and 'after' states with more precise directional language. While you have addressed all parts of the task, the lack of clarity in some descriptive sections prevents a higher band score.

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, such as 'Regarding the second diagram' and 'In 2000', to guide the reader. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing and mechanical transitions. For example, the sentence 'while some thing have been replaced with each other' is vague and lacks a smooth connection to the previous sentence. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to show contrast and sequence more effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'layout', 'appearance', and 'facilities'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'a passenger ferries was occurred' and 'a small road was branches off'. These errors indicate a limited control over word forms and sentence construction. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise terminology for describing maps, such as 'situated', 'adjacent to', 'transformed into', or 'relocated', and ensure you use plural and singular forms correctly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'some thing have been replaced', 'a passenger ferries was occurred', and 'a small road was branches off'. Subject-verb agreement and the misuse of passive voice are recurring issues. While the meaning is generally understandable, these persistent errors in basic grammar prevent the writing from being considered 'error-free' in the majority of sentences. Focusing on proofreading for verb tense consistency and article usage would significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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