Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The provided map illustrates the layout of the harbour in 2000 and its current appearance.

Overall, it can be seen 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 had one toilet. Also, the fishing boats were considerably larger. Moreover, there was a public beach where passengers could relax and two car parks connected to the main road whereas the castle was disused.

Looking at the present-day plan, there are two car parks that directly link to the main road and two toilets. The marina area has been expanded. Additionally, cafes and shops have been added. However, the old castle was transformed into a hotel which is directly connected to the road and has a private beach, allowing visitors to enjoy the beach. A second dock was added to the eastern side of the harbour.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student covers all key parts of the task by presenting an overview and reporting the main features of the harbour in 2000 and the present day. Key transformations are identified, such as the conversion of the disused castle into a hotel, the addition of a second dock, and the expansion of the marina and public amenities. Comparisons between the two time periods are successfully integrated throughout the response, such as noting that "fishing boats were considerably larger" in the past and that new cafes and shops have been introduced. The overall response is well-supported with relevant details from the visual data, satisfying the requirements for this criterion effectively and providing a clear, accurate summary.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression from an introduction to an overview paragraph, followed by a description of the 2000 layout and then the present-day layout. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different temporal focuses. Cohesive devices are employed with reasonable flexibility, utilizing transition signals like "Overall," "In 2000," "Looking at the present-day plan," and "Additionally." However, referencing is occasionally repetitive or slightly mechanical, such as the repeated use of "In 2000" and sentence beginnings. Nevertheless, the progression of ideas remains easy to follow throughout the text, ensuring a coherent reading experience.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully utilizing topic-specific terminology such as "harbour," "layout," "marina," "yachts," "dock," and "amenities." There are some attempts to use less common vocabulary items and descriptive phrases, such as "disused," "considerably larger," and "transformed." While word choice is mostly clear and communication is never impeded, there are occasional minor inaccuracies in collocation or phrasing, such as referring to people visiting the beach as "passengers" rather than visitors or tourists. Spelling and word formation are accurate throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student displays a reasonable mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating relative clauses and subordinate structures successfully (e.g., "where passengers could park their private yachts and had one toilet," and "allowing visitors to enjoy the beach"). Grammatical accuracy is fairly high, with many error-free sentences, particularly when describing states and simple actions. There are occasional minor slip-ups or slightly awkward phrasing, such as the uncoordinated parallel verbs in "where passengers could park... and had one toilet," but these errors do not impede communication. Punctuation is generally controlled, allowing for clear separation of clauses.

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