Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The map illustrates how a harbour was back in 2000 and how it has changed up to the present day.

Overall, harbour has gone through little changes, some changes are just shuffles between the places and increment in the number of docks.

In 2000, the northern side of the harbour contained an area for showers and toilets just above northern car park. Adjacent to it, there was a private yacht zone, while further to the east, a dock and a public beach were situated. In the southern side of harbour a car park was situated and a Fishing boat zone was located immediately to the east. Beside of that, lifeboat area was located, opposite of which public beach and a castle were stood.

Today, a new showers and toilets area has been constructed immediately to the north of the southern car park. The fishing boat zone and private yachts area have swapped locations. A new place where cafes and shops are present has been built in the immediate west of the lifeboat zone. The castle has been converted into a hotel and the public beach has also been changed to private beach for the hotel. Number of docks has been increased to two.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the harbour plans, including the relocation of facilities and the conversion of the castle. You have successfully identified the main changes, such as the swap between the fishing boat and yacht zones, and the addition of new amenities. However, the overview is slightly weak; stating that the harbour has gone through 'little changes' is inaccurate given the significant structural developments like the hotel conversion and the addition of cafes. To improve, ensure your overview highlights the most significant transformations rather than downplaying them. The report is well-structured and provides a clear comparison between the two time periods.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that follow a spatial progression. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the initial state from the current state. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical. Phrases like 'Beside of that' and 'opposite of which' are slightly awkward and could be replaced with more natural transitions such as 'Adjacent to this' or 'Situated opposite'. While the progression of ideas is clear, the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect the spatial descriptions more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the changes, such as 'constructed', 'converted', and 'situated'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'shuffles between the places' is not standard English for describing map changes; 'reconfiguration' or 'relocation' would be more appropriate. Additionally, 'Beside of that' is grammatically incorrect. You demonstrate an ability to use topic-specific vocabulary (e.g., 'yacht zone', 'lifeboat area'), but you need to refine your control over collocations to reach a higher band. Focus on using more precise verbs and avoiding informal phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors. For instance, 'harbour has gone through little changes' should be 'the harbour has undergone few changes'. There are also issues with articles ('a new showers and toilets area' should be 'a new shower and toilet area') and prepositions ('in the immediate west' should be 'to the immediate west'). Furthermore, 'castle were stood' is incorrect; it should be 'the castle stood'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to limit the score in this criterion.

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

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