Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-12
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 diagram illustrates the comparison between two layouts of Porth Harbour in 2000's and today.
Overall, the layout of the port remain the same as before but present harbour have been updated with new amenities. The recent features are Hotel, cafe & shops, new docks, private yachts etc.
Harbour in 2000 was a decent port back in the days with facilities needed at that time. In the north of the Porth we had dock where passenger ferries come and in the north of that we had public beach. West side is followed by a main road connecting people with car parks, showers & toilet which further connected with marine private yachts and fishing boat area. The road in the south takes you to public beach, lifeboat area and the castle (disused).
Harbour today, have been added with necessary amenities keeping in mind the growing number of visitors. More docks added in the north of the port and of we go west side of the porth more showers & toilet is also added next to car park. Fishing boats area is been replaced with private yachts area because of growing number of private yachts. Cafes & shops are introduced next to that road in south of the porth public also castle has been converted into a hotel.
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 student attempts to summarise the main features of Porth Harbour in 2000 and today, providing an overview and mentioning several key changes such as the addition of hotels, cafes, shops, and the expansion of docks and private yacht areas. However, the response falls short of a higher band due to incomplete coverage and lack of precise detail regarding spatial relationships. Certain features are described loosely without clear comparative metrics or precise locations, and the overview lacks a comprehensive summary of the overall spatial transformation. Additionally, some descriptions contain imprecise interpretations of the visual data. As a result, the response satisfies the criteria for Band 5.0, where the task is addressed only partially and ideas are somewhat limited.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text is divided into paragraphs, starting with an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for the past and present layouts. However, the logical progression is frequently disrupted by awkward transitions and unclear referencing. For instance, phrases like 'West side is followed by a main road' and 'of we go west side of the porth' create a disjointed flow that hinders readability. Cohesive devices are used minimally and sometimes inappropriately. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion is weak. This places the response firmly in the Band 5 category, where there is some organisation but no clear overall progression and cohesive devices are inadequate or inaccurate.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, with several instances of unnatural phrasing and word choice. Examples include 'present harbour have been updated', 'a decent port back in the days', and 'Fishing boats area is been replaced'. While the student attempts some topic-specific vocabulary related to the maps (such as 'passenger ferries', 'private yachts', and 'lifeboat area'), the limited control over collocation and word formation restricts the range. Spelling errors are also present ('2000's', 'disused' used correctly but contextual framing is weak). This performance aligns with Band 5.0, featuring a limited but minimally adequate range with noticeable errors that cause some difficulty for the reader.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences and flawed attempts at complex constructions. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('the layout... remain', 'Harbour today, have been added', 'showers & toilet is also added'), missing articles ('castle has been converted into a hotel'), and awkward prepositions. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. Because errors are frequent and can cause difficulty for the reader while complex structures are often faulty, this response corresponds to a Band 5.0 score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.