Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-11
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 5.0)
The map illustrates harbour between 2000 and looks today.
Overall, it is clear that the area became more developed and modernized in recent. In addition, a hotel was introduced, while castle discussed was removed.
Looking at the details, in 2000 there was a castle in the eastern place of harbour. It was later replaced by a hotel. Similarly, marina in the western place, they were replaced by a fishing boats while cafes and shops are built near the lifeboat in the southern place. And now there was a two dock but in 2000 only one dock. There was a two showers and toilets built in today time will opposite car park but in 2000 had only one showers and toilets there was two car parking one are join in main road and other join only simple road.
In comparison, that passenger ferries and private beach remained unchanged, while in today there was to much changing in the harbour this structure are build in modern types and two car parking are join in main road. Overall, castle had been replaced by a hotel while marina had been replaced by a fishing boats.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers the main features of the harbour's transformation, such as the replacement of the castle and the addition of new facilities. However, the report lacks precision in describing locations and quantities. For instance, the phrase 'eastern place' is vague, and the description of the docks and car parks is confusing and inaccurate compared to the visual data. While the main trends are identified, the lack of clear, accurate reporting of the specific changes (e.g., the number of docks or the exact location of the new facilities) prevents a higher score. The summary is present but lacks the analytical depth required for a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the progression of ideas is often disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical or repetitive (e.g., 'In addition', 'Looking at the details', 'In comparison'). Some sentences are difficult to follow due to poor referencing, such as 'they were replaced by a fishing boats', where the pronoun 'they' does not clearly refer to a previous noun. The logical flow is hindered by awkward phrasing, making the overall organization feel somewhat disjointed.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive, relying on basic terms like 'built', 'replaced', and 'modernized'. There are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'in today time', 'eastern place of harbour', and 'to much changing'. These errors occasionally impede the clarity of the message. The student attempts to describe the changes but lacks the range of vocabulary necessary to describe spatial relationships or developments with precision. To improve, the student should focus on learning topic-specific vocabulary related to maps and urban development.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that affect readability. There are consistent issues with article usage ('a two dock', 'a two showers'), subject-verb agreement ('there was a two showers'), and tense consistency ('castle discussed was removed'). Sentence structures are mostly simple, and attempts at more complex sentences often result in errors, such as 'while in today there was to much changing in the harbour this structure are build in modern types'. These errors are frequent and sometimes cause difficulty for the reader, though the general meaning remains understandable.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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