Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-13

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)

Map

The srenderued two layouts depicts the information about harbour in past and how it looks like after modification.

Overall, it is readily apparent many new facilities are add in the harbour while some are still located in same location.

Looking at the maps in more details, to the west side there was a main road which was interlinked with car and another road but in this present time another car park is connected with this road and another showers and tolest introduced about the car park. In d In the 2000, there was a public beech with Dock and two passenge ferier in the Eastern side but now, all the things are unchange but new pasenger boat is added in the beach.

Turning towards the remaining information, in the South east corner, Castle is replaced by hotel and public beach is used by hotel in the present time. Meanwhile, a new cafe and shops are construed just near the lifeboat for public use in the harbour.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to summarise the main features of the harbour maps from 2000 and the present day. An overview is provided, noting that new facilities have been added while some elements remain in the same location. Key comparisons are made, such as the replacement of the castle with a hotel and the addition of new cafes, shops, and a car park. However, there are significant areas of under-development and confusion in reporting specific details, such as mentioning 'showers and tolest' and 'passenge ferier'. While all parts of the task are addressed to some extent, the lack of clarity and precision in describing certain spatial changes places this performance within band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response has a basic structure with an introduction, an overview paragraph, and body paragraphs discussing specific areas of the map. However, the logical progression is frequently hindered by awkward phrasing, typos, and abrupt transitions, such as 'In d In the 2000'. Cohesive devices are used in a mechanical or repetitive manner, and referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult to follow the spatial relationships between the various features on the maps. Paragraphing is attempted but lacks smooth overall organization, resulting in a score of 5.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is basic and limited, with noticeable errors in spelling and word formation that occasionally impede communication. Examples include 'srenderued', 'tolest', 'beech', 'ferier', 'unchange', 'pasenger', and 'construed'. While the student attempts some less common terms related to map descriptions, such as 'interlinked', 'modification', and 'remaining information', the high frequency of inaccurate word choices and misspellings restricts the lexical range to a band 4.5, rounded to 5.0 based on minimally adequate attempts to describe the changes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The text displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and flawed attempts at complex constructions. There are frequent errors in verb tense, agreement, and prepositions, such as 'are add in the harbour', 'are still located in same location', and 'Castle is replaced by hotel'. Punctuation is also erratic, with run-on phrasing and unnecessary capitalisation. These errors frequently cause difficulty for the reader and prevent the text from achieving a higher band score.

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

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