Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-05

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 given map illustrates the changes of took places in past and take places in the present time about place of porth harbour .

To begin with, in the past , the main road was located in the West side. In the north , the beach was located while the dock and passenger ferries were situated below side of beach. The castle and public health centre were discover in the noth- west corner. The lifeboad area was situated in the centre of the map. the showers , car parks , marine and fishing boats were discoved in the west side.

Moving further, in the present time ,the one more dock is added near past dock . The fishing boats and marine are moved . The one more showers and toillets are built between car parks. Cafe and shops are constructed the right side of lifeboat . The castle replaced into the hotel in nowadays.

Overall , there are seen many changes in the modern era , the principal changes are , build one more dock and hotel .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the harbour, such as the addition of a dock, the conversion of the castle into a hotel, and the relocation of amenities. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear overview that synthesizes the most significant changes. While the task is addressed, the reporting of features is occasionally imprecise, such as stating the castle was 'replaced into the hotel', which is grammatically awkward and lacks clarity. To reach a higher band, you should focus on grouping information more logically and providing a more cohesive summary of the overall transformation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the past to the present. However, the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes repetitive (e.g., 'In the north', 'In the west side'). The transition between sentences is often abrupt, and the lack of varied linking words makes the flow feel somewhat disjointed. While the paragraphing is functional, the internal cohesion within paragraphs needs more variety to guide the reader more effectively through the comparison of the two maps.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to describe the basic features of the map, but it is quite limited and repetitive. There are several instances of awkward word choices, such as 'discover in the north-west' instead of 'located' or 'situated', and 'replaced into the hotel' instead of 'converted into a hotel'. Some terms are used incorrectly, such as 'below side of beach'. To improve, you should aim to use more precise vocabulary related to spatial descriptions and urban development, and work on collocations to ensure your word choices sound more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses ('changes of took places', 'take places in the present time') and article usage ('the one more dock', 'the right side of lifeboat'). Prepositional errors are also common, such as 'in the west side' instead of 'on the west side'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction and tense consistency prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. You should focus on mastering subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles.

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

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