Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The provided map illustrates the layout of harbour in 2000 and its current appearance.
Overall, it can be observed at a glance that in 2000, the castle was disused and there was only one dock in the north. In the present day plan, a hotel, a second dock and passenger toilets have been added.
In 2000, there was a Marina in the west for passengers where passengers could park their private yachts and one toilet. Also the fishing boat was very large. Moreover there was a public beach where passengers can spend quality time and two car parks connected to main road whereas the castle was disused.
The analysis of second plan reveals that there have been two car parks that directly links to main road and two toilets. The marina area has been expanded and there are cafes and shops providing delicious cuisine. However, the old castle was transformed into hotel which is directly connected to the road and has a private beach allow visitors to enjoy the beach. A second dock was added.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The candidate successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing an overview and selecting the main features of the harbour in 2000 and today. The comparison between the two time periods is generally clear, noting key developments such as the addition of a second dock, a hotel, passenger toilets, and expanded facilities like shops and cafes. However, some details are slightly inaccurate or confusingly expressed, such as claiming the fishing boat was very large in 2000 or stating that the old castle was transformed into 'hotel' without an article. Despite these minor lapses in precision, the core features of the visual data are covered adequately, earning a solid Band 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged into four paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for the past and present layouts, which provides a coherent overall structure. Logical progression is attempted; however, the flow is occasionally disrupted by mechanical referencing and abrupt transitions, such as 'The analysis of second plan reveals...' and repetitive structural patterns. Cohesive devices are used to some extent, but referencing between sentences could be smoother to avoid choppy phrasing. Paragraphing is utilized appropriately to group related ideas, but overall management of cohesion keeps this criterion at a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'disused', 'transformed', and 'expanded'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'layout of harbour' (missing article), 'passenger toilets' (redundant given the context), and 'private beach allow visitors' (grammatical slip in collocation). Additionally, some expressions sound slightly unnatural or colloquial for an academic report. Spelling is generally accurate, but the lexical range lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands, placing it firmly at a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at relative clauses and past/present tense contrasts (e.g., 'where passengers could park', 'have been added'). However, grammatical errors are frequent enough to detract from fluency. Examples include missing articles ('layout of harbour', 'transformed into hotel'), tense shifts ('can spend quality time' mixed with past descriptions), and awkward relative clauses ('private beach allow visitors'). While these errors rarely impede overall communication, they prevent the text from reaching a higher band, justifying a score of 6.0.
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.