Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)
The diagrams illustrate Porth harbour in 2000 and the current layout.
Overall, it is evident that Porth harbour underwent a slightly transformations with introduction of cafes and shops, an hotel, additional toilet and bathroom and a private beach
Regarding the structure of porth harbour in 2000, at the northern side are dock for pessengers ferries and immediately by the dock side is a public beach. Meanwhile, the northwest area consists of shower and toilets, a car park below it and a marina for private yachts is immediately on the right of shower and toilets. On south west area was a car park, followed by a section where fishing boats are been kept whereas on the south side is life boat junction that connected with the road, a disused castle on the southeastern area and a public beach immediately beneath the castle.
Turning to the recent plan of the Porth harbour, all sections are still in place except for fishing boats and marina for private yachts which have replaced each other position. Furthermore, an additional shower and toilets room has be constructed above the car park on the southwestern side and a new cafes and shop has been built on the west side of the life boat area. However, the disused castle has be renovated into an hotel and a public beach has been converted to a private beach for hotel members.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response covers all key features of the two maps, including the changes to the marina, the renovation of the castle, and the addition of new facilities. The overview is clear and identifies the main trends, such as the introduction of commercial and hospitality services. However, some details are slightly inaccurate; for instance, the text mentions a 'bathroom' which is not explicitly shown, and the description of the marina and fishing boat swap is a bit confusing. To reach a higher band, ensure that all descriptions are precise and directly supported by the visual data provided in the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The essay is logically organized, moving from an overview to a detailed description of the 2000 layout, followed by the current changes. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate these sections. Cohesive devices such as 'Regarding', 'Meanwhile', and 'Turning to' are used to guide the reader through the information. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be smoother. For example, the phrase 'all sections are still in place except for...' is a good attempt at comparison, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect the spatial descriptions more naturally.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with terms like 'renovated', 'converted', and 'layout' used correctly. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'slightly transformations' (should be 'slight transformations') and 'life boat junction' (which is not a standard term for a lifeboat station). Additionally, the repetition of 'shower and toilets' and 'car park' suggests a limited range. To improve, try to use more precise synonyms and ensure that collocations are natural, such as 'lifeboat station' instead of 'junction'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'fishing boats are been kept' (passive voice error), 'an hotel' (article error), 'has be constructed' (should be 'has been'), and 'a new cafes' (number agreement error). These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent use of passive voice for describing map changes would significantly improve the accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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