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 diagrams depict the changes in Harbour porth as compared to its past. Some years before, this porth does not contain many facilities but with the passage of time, it is transmitted with new technology and developments.
Overall, nowadays, this porth is a great place for the tourists because it contains a public beach which is next to the luxury hotel. In addtion, Harbour Porth also has a private beachand respect the privacy of the families and couples. This private beach also serves as a hotel. Harbour Porth also contains two car parks which are directly attached to main road.
Harbour Porth, which is famous all over the world and attracts the number of international tourists and visitors due to its amenities and modern features is timely updated with the passage of time. Marine for private yachts are shifted with the fishing boat's block. One more block is added to the porth which serves for bathing and latrine purposes. In the past, there was also a castle which do not attract the callers and guests and was approximately not in use. This dead castle in now converted into a luxury restaurant and provides accommodation to the visitors. People also feel safe on Harbour Porth because it also provides a private beach and life boat for privacy and entertainment respectively. Cafes and grocery shops are also present on the porth which provides an ease to tourists.
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 attempts to describe the changes to the harbour by comparing the past layout with the present day. However, the student misinterprets several key features from the visual data. For instance, the text mentions that the marine for private yachts was 'shifted with the fishing boat's block', whereas the maps actually show a reorganisation of moorings and the addition of new facilities such as a hotel, apartments, and a swimming pool. Furthermore, the descriptions are somewhat vague and contain inaccuracies regarding the visual features, which pulls the score down. While the overview attempts to highlight main features such as the public beach, luxury hotel, and restaurant, the overall coverage of the visual data lacks precision and misses several significant changes shown on the maps. Consequently, this falls under Band 5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is divided into three paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and a body paragraph. However, the logical progression is weak, and the grouping of information is disjointed. For example, the second paragraph mentions the public beach, luxury hotel, private beach, and car parks, while the third paragraph randomly returns to discuss the marine, a bathing block, the castle, cafes, and grocery shops. Cohesive devices are used mechanically or awkwardly, such as 'In addtion' (spelling error) and repetitive use of 'Harbour Porth also'. Paragraphing could be significantly improved by logically grouping past features versus current features, or sorting by geographical areas of the harbour. These organisational flaws place the response at Band 5.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a limited and repetitive vocabulary suitable for basic descriptive tasks. Words like 'porth' (used repeatedly as a misspelling of port or harbor) and 'block' are used inappropriately or awkwardly. There are frequent lexical errors and incorrect word choices, such as 'transmitted with new technology', 'attract the callers and guests', and 'dead castle in now converted'. While some attempts are made to use descriptive terms like 'luxury hotel', 'international tourists', and 'accommodation', the range of vocabulary is restricted, and inaccuracies in collocation and word formation cause noticeable distraction for the reader. This performance aligns with Band 5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response shows a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but grammatical accuracy is consistently weak. There are frequent errors in tense consistency, subject-verb agreement, and active/passive voice, such as 'this porth does not contain', 'is transmitted with new technology', 'castle which do not attract', and 'this dead castle in now converted'. Punctuation and spelling errors are also present, including 'addtion' and 'beachand'. While some basic sentences are formed correctly and communication is generally maintained despite the errors, the high frequency of grammatical slips prevents the response from achieving a higher band. Therefore, a score of 5.0 is appropriate.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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