Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-14
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 illustration gives information about the harbour feature in 2000, and today looks. Overall, there is a lot of new development and significant changes in today's Porth Harbour as compared with the past.
It is quite evident from the plans that in 2000, Porth Harbour had several facilities for the public. There were two roads one on the west side that was the main road, second was on the south side of this port. There were two card park attach with each road and also showers and toilet facilities. Another facility was two passenger boats for public use and one for fishing and also as usual, one lifeboat for emergency situations.
Meanwhile, in recent times, Porth Harbour has had many changes and new facilities at this location, some facilities are the same as before but in an advanced form like three passenger ferries for public use. On the south side of life boat their is one new development is hotel for stay, as well as new cafes and shops on the north side of South Road.
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 cover the main features of the harbour in 2000 and today, identifying key changes such as the addition of passenger ferries, a hotel, cafes, and shops. However, the overview is weak and grammatically awkward in its opening sentence ('The illustration gives information about the harbour feature in 2000, and today looks'). While some comparisons are made, the selection of details is somewhat limited and lacks a fully developed overview that synthesises the overall spatial transformation. Consequently, the response aligns best with Band 5.0 as it addresses the task only partially with limited development of comparative points.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is organised into three paragraphs, providing an introduction and separate body paragraphs for the past and present layouts. However, the progression of ideas is hindered by repetitive phrasing and weak cohesive devices. For instance, the transition 'Meanwhile, in recent times' is rather simplistic, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'on the south side of life boat their is one new development'. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion is mechanical and repetitive. This places the response firmly at Band 5.0 due to noticeable organizational faults and inadequate logical progression.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, such as the repeated use of 'facility' and 'facilities' throughout the text. There are also notable lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'card park attach' instead of 'car park attached'. While the writer attempts some less common vocabulary related to the prompt (e.g., 'emergency situations', 'passenger ferries'), the range remains limited and minimally adequate for the task. Spelling and word-choice errors occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, fitting the Band 5.0 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response exhibits a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic clauses with frequent grammatical errors. Examples of errors include 'the harbour feature in 2000, and today looks', 'two card park attach with each road', and 'south side of life boat their is one new development'. Punctuation is also weak, and attempts at complex structures are frequently faulty. These persistent errors in grammar and punctuation cause noticeable strain for the reader, which aligns with Band 4.5 to 5.0. A score of 5.0 is awarded as there are occasional correct simple structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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