Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)
The two layouts of plan compare the changes that took place in porth harbour today and how it was looked in 2000 before its redesigning.
Overall, the area that was used by porth harbour was remained same, but harbour went through some important substantial changes. Car parking facilities remained same in current plan, but entrance point of one parking facility (near road) changed from main road to smaller road, which reduce burden of heavy traffic on single side.
In 2000, harbour had only one showers and toilet facility, which is improved in current layout, by adding another showers and toilet space near second car parking area. Another important change is relocation of marina and fishing boats, they replaced their location with each other.
In addition, Cafes and shops are introduced in today's plan, which was not available in previous layout plan. In today's plan, number of passenger ferries also increased from 2 to 3, in order to facilitate more tourism and improve time management. Furthermore, Castle that was disused in 2000, converted to hexogonal hotel, which help to accommodate tourist that was situated near public beach.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response covers all key features of the harbour plans, including the relocation of the marina and fishing boats, the addition of cafes and shops, and the conversion of the castle. The overview is clear, noting that the harbour's footprint remained the same while significant functional changes occurred. The information is well-selected and reported accurately. To reach a higher band, ensure that all comparisons are fully supported by the visual data; for instance, the mention of 'time management' is an inference not explicitly supported by the provided image. Overall, the task is addressed effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, a summary, and body paragraphs that group related changes. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition,' 'Furthermore,' and 'In today's plan' are used to guide the reader through the information. However, the paragraphing is slightly disjointed, and some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow between the discussion of facilities and the structural changes to the castle could be smoother. The overall progression of ideas is logical and easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is generally appropriate for the task, using terms like 'redesigning,' 'relocation,' and 'accommodate.' There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'hexogonal' (spelling) and 'one showers' (pluralization error). While the range is sufficient to convey the meaning clearly, it lacks the sophisticated, precise collocations that would characterize a higher band. The use of 'today's plan' is repeated frequently, which limits the lexical variety. Expanding the range of synonyms for 'change' or 'development' would improve the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'area that was used by porth harbour was remained same' (passive voice error) and 'tourist that was situated' (subject-verb agreement). Additionally, there are issues with articles ('the' castle, 'a' hexagonal hotel) and pluralization. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent the response from reaching the 7.0 band, which requires a higher frequency of error-free sentences.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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