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 information of changes that took place in past and have taken place in present time in the Porth Harbour.

To begin with, in 2000, public beach was situated in the Northern side. Passenger ferries was near the dock in the middle of map. Shower & toilets, Marina and car park was located in the North-West side . There was another car park in the South-West direction and near it ,fishing boats were placed . Castle was constructed near the another public beach in the South.

In the present time, another dock has been built . Another shower & toilet is constructed near the car park in the West. Cafes and shops are constructed near the place where lifeboat are placed . Castle is replaced by the hotel . place of fishing boats and Marine is inter changed .

Overall, it can be seen that many changes have taken places in the present time. Key changes are replacement of castle, construction of shops & cafes , shower & toilet and Dock.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the harbour in both 2000 and the present. You successfully identified key changes such as the replacement of the castle with a hotel and the addition of new facilities like shops and cafes. However, the report lacks a clear overview or summary of the most significant trends, which is essential for a high band score. Additionally, some descriptions are slightly vague, such as 'place of fishing boats and Marine is inter changed', which lacks precision. To improve, ensure you group information logically and provide a more analytical summary of the overall transformation rather than just listing changes.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

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 quite limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'To begin with' and 'In the present time' are used, but the internal flow between sentences is often mechanical. There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to show contrast or comparison between the two time periods. Improving the variety of transition signals and ensuring that referencing (e.g., 'the former', 'the latter') is used more effectively would enhance the logical flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is somewhat repetitive and lacks variety. You rely heavily on basic verbs like 'is', 'are', and 'constructed'. While you successfully use terms like 'passenger ferries' and 'lifeboat', there is a lack of more precise vocabulary to describe spatial changes, such as 'relocated', 'expanded', or 'transformed'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more specific collocations related to map descriptions and avoid repeating the same sentence structures and vocabulary throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with subject-verb agreement and article usage. For example, you wrote 'Passenger ferries was' (should be 'were') and 'Castle was constructed' (missing the article 'The'). Additionally, 'many changes have taken places' is incorrect; it should be 'taken place'. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and punctuation limit the score. To improve, focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring that articles are used correctly before singular countable nouns.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.