Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-06

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 6.5)

The plans give pictorial view of the changes made in a harbour between 2000 and the present day.

Overall, the harbour remains largely untouched. A few amenities have been added to the harbour for the general public use. However, the transformation of the unoccupied castle to a hotel remains the biggest attraction.

More docks have been built to deal with the increasing number of boats, accompanied by the construction of another showers and toilets area for the general public. The area for Fishing boats and private yachts have been exchanged with each other. The entrace of the car park near to the private yachts area has also been changed. The entrance of both the car parks are now from the main road.

This leads us to the newly built cafes and shops right next to the private yachts area which comes in the way to the hotel built in the place of the unused castle. Subsequently, The public beach near the unused castle has now been reserved for the hotel's guests.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response covers the main features of the harbour plans well. You successfully identified the key changes, such as the conversion of the castle to a hotel, the expansion of the docks, and the relocation of amenities. The overview provides a clear summary of the general trend. However, the response could be improved by providing more precise comparisons between the two time periods. For instance, while you mention the docks increased, quantifying the change or describing the specific layout shifts more clearly would strengthen the analysis. Overall, you have addressed all parts of the task effectively, providing a clear and logical summary of the visual information provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that group related information. The progression of ideas is generally smooth. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'However', 'Subsequently', and 'This leads us to', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or forced, such as the start of the final paragraph. Additionally, the paragraphing is a bit fragmented; the second paragraph is quite long and could be split to better separate the infrastructure changes from the commercial developments. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the flow further.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'amenities', 'transformation', and 'unoccupied'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'pictorial view' (which is slightly unnatural in this context) and 'another showers and toilets area' (which is grammatically awkward). You attempt to use less common vocabulary, which is good, but some collocations could be more precise. For example, 'exchanged with each other' is understandable but could be phrased more professionally as 'swapped locations' or 'relocated'. Overall, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly without significant difficulty for the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist. For example, 'The entrace of the car park' contains a spelling error, and 'the construction of another showers and toilets area' is grammatically incorrect (it should be 'another shower and toilet area' or 'additional shower and toilet facilities'). There are also minor issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. Despite these errors, the meaning is rarely obscured, and the range of structures is sufficient to meet the requirements of the task. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will help improve your accuracy.

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.