Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 diagram illustrates the layout of Porth Harbour in 2000 and its current appearance.

Overall, Porth Harbour underwent significant changes over the period, with several new features being added, including cafes and shops, a hotel, a second showers and toilets facility and an additional dock. The public beach was also converted into a private beach, while the fishing boats and marina (private yachts) switched places.

In 2000, a main road ran from the northern side to the southern side of the Harbour, connecting at two places with a car park and an additional road running towards the eastern side. However, showers and toilets featured adjacent to that car park, while another car park was situated on the southern road which had a life boat at the end near the sea. A disused castle was located in the south-eastern corner near the sea, with a public beach nearby, whereas another public beach was situated on the northern side near the dock and passenger ferries. Meanwhile, fishing boats were constructed next to the additional southern road, and the marina was located close to the showers and toilets.

The features that remained the same over the years were the life boat, the northern public beach, the showers and toilets, and the car parks. However, the car park connected to the additional southern road was then also connected to the main road. Another showers and toilets facility was added near the southern car park, whereas the marina and fishing boats replaced with each other. An additional dock was constructed adjacent to the existing dock, while cafes and shops were introduced close to the lifeboat. Finally, the castle was demolished and replaced by a hotel, with the southern public beach which was converted into a private beach for the hotel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response effectively covers all key features of the harbour's transformation. You successfully identified the major changes, such as the addition of the hotel, the conversion of the beach, and the relocation of the marina and fishing boats. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the trends. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in your description of the 'remaining' features; for instance, you stated the northern public beach remained, whereas the map shows it was removed. Despite this, the main features are well-reported and the comparison between the two time periods is logical and easy to follow.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is well-structured with a clear introduction, a detailed body, and a logical flow of information. You use a variety of cohesive devices such as 'however', 'meanwhile', and 'whereas' to connect ideas effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the initial state from the subsequent changes. The progression of ideas is logical, moving from the general overview to specific details. The referencing is generally clear, though the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be slightly smoother to avoid minor repetition of features.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the changes accurately, using terms like 'demolished', 'converted', 'adjacent', and 'layout'. There is a good attempt to use precise language, though some phrasing is slightly repetitive (e.g., 'showers and toilets' mentioned multiple times). The word choices are generally appropriate for an academic report, and there are no significant errors in spelling or collocation that impede communication. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'added' or 'located'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You use passive voice appropriately for describing changes (e.g., 'was converted', 'was demolished'). While there are occasional minor grammatical slips, such as 'replaced with each other' (should be 'swapped' or 'exchanged') and 'a second showers and toilets facility' (should be 'a second shower and toilet facility'), these do not impede meaning. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation is consistent throughout the text.

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

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