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 maps illustrate how Porth harbour developed from 2000 to so far.

Overall, this harbour underwent a considerable redevelopment over the period, with the construction of additional showers & toilets, cafes and shops, and a one more dock. However, the Castle has been converted into a Hotel and public beach has been replaced by a private beach for the hotel.

In the north-western part of the area, the showers and toilets remained unchanged, as did Car park. By contrast, along the main road, in the south-western part of the harbour, new showers & toilets have been constructed next to the car park which remained in its location. A notable modification has been done by changing the locations of the Marina (Private yachts) and the Fishing boats with each others' location. Currently, the location of the Marina (Private yachts) is exactly at the same location where the Fishing boats used to be in 2000 and vice versa.

A new dock has been constructed along the earlier one, whereas no changes has been done in the public beach. Moreover, new cafes and shops are built next to the lifeboat which remained unchanged. The most significant redevelopment in the Porth Harbour has been done by replacing the area which was a Castle in 2000 with a hotel and public beach with a private beach for the hotel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the harbour's development, including the conversion of the castle, the addition of new facilities, and the relocation of the marina and fishing boats. You provided a clear overview and supported your points with specific details from the maps. However, there is a factual inconsistency in your report: you state that 'no changes has been done in the public beach', yet you later correctly identify that the public beach was replaced by a private one. Ensuring consistency between your overview and body paragraphs is essential for a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that group information by location. You use cohesive devices such as 'In the north-western part', 'By contrast', and 'Moreover' to guide the reader through the changes. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate different areas of the harbour. To improve, ensure that your referencing is precise; for example, the phrase 'along the earlier one' is slightly vague when describing the new dock. Overall, the flow of information is smooth and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the changes, using terms like 'redevelopment', 'converted', 'modification', and 'significant'. There are some minor awkward phrasings, such as 'developed from 2000 to so far' (which should be 'developed between 2000 and the present day') and 'with each others' location'. While these errors do not impede communication, they slightly limit the precision of your description. Using more varied collocations to describe the changes would help elevate your lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The most significant redevelopment... has been done by replacing...'. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'no changes has been done' (should be 'have been done') and 'new cafes and shops are built' (should be 'were built' or 'have been built'). Additionally, the use of articles is occasionally inconsistent, such as 'as did Car park' (should be 'the car park'). Despite these errors, your meaning remains clear throughout the response.

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

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