Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-07

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 provided maps illustrates the main changes that have take place in harbour from 2000 to the present day.

Overall, the area has undergone significant development, transforming from a largely area into an modern zone. Notably, several recreational and residential facilities have replaced previously open spaces. there have built extra shower and toilets facilities. Near the lifeboat constructed cafes and shops. public beach remain unchanged

To begin with, in the north-east of the area castle demolished and constructed new hotel, nearly beach owned by hotel. left side of lifeboat space there are built shops and cafes. The marina, which previously housed fishing boats, has been replaced by private yachts. Car park entrance changed and new entrance opened in main road. Front of the car park built new showers and toilets.

Turning to the next details, dock and boats places closed to fishing boats area. Constructed one more dock for passenger ferries.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the maps, such as the replacement of the marina and the addition of the hotel and ferry dock. However, the report lacks a clear overview of the most significant changes, which is a requirement for a high band. Some descriptions are slightly inaccurate or confusing, such as 'left side of lifeboat space' and 'nearly beach owned by hotel', which makes it difficult for the reader to follow the spatial changes. While the key developments are identified, the lack of a cohesive summary and the imprecise reporting of locations limit the effectiveness of the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow between ideas is often mechanical or disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes inaccurate, such as the abrupt transition 'Turning to the next details'. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult to track the specific locations being described. While there is an overall attempt at a logical structure, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the repetitive sentence structure hinder the progression of the report. Better use of referencing (e.g., 'the former location of...') would improve clarity.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher bands. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'largely area' and 'boats places'. The student relies on basic terminology and struggles with collocations, for example, 'there have built extra shower'. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the lack of flexibility and the presence of errors in word formation and collocation prevent a higher score. Expanding the range of descriptive verbs and nouns related to urban development would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. There are issues with subject-verb agreement ('maps illustrates', 'public beach remain'), missing articles ('castle demolished', 'Near the lifeboat'), and awkward sentence construction ('there have built extra shower'). The range of structures is limited, with a reliance on simple sentences. While the meaning is usually clear, the high frequency of basic errors in tense and sentence structure indicates a lack of control over complex grammar, which is necessary for higher band scores.

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

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