Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-15

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 following map illustrate a harbour before in 2000 and how it looks today.

Overall, it can be clearly seen that, today harbour has completely transfomed. Castle(disused) wich take place in the south east of the corner is now converted into Hotel. The location of the marina (private yachts) and fishing boats change with each other in the new harbour.Cafes and shops are also constructed just near the road in the middle of harbour for the sake to facilitate the tourist.

Looking first at the south east corner of the area where castle was take place is now converted into hotel, however, new showers and toilets were added to the new harbour near the main road in the west courner. Both public beach remain in the same place of both side north and south side. Cafe and shops are the new development in the current harbour.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to summarize the main changes between the two maps, noting the conversion of the castle into a hotel, the swapping of the marina and fishing boat locations, and the addition of cafes, shops, and new sanitation facilities. However, the response fails to meet the minimum word count of 150 words, coming in at 146 words, which incurs a penalty under the task achievement criterion. Additionally, some key features are described vaguely or lack complete detail regarding spatial relationships and comprehensive coverage of the visual data. To achieve a higher band, the student should ensure full task coverage, develop a clearer overview, and ensure the essay comfortably exceeds the minimum word count.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay attempts to structure the information by dividing it into an introductory overview and subsequent body paragraphs. However, the progression is somewhat disjointed due to abrupt shifts between ideas and structural errors in referencing. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes awkward, such as the repetitive use of 'where... was take place'. Paragraphing is attempted but lacks smooth transitional flow between sentences and sections. To improve, the student needs to use a wider and more accurate range of cohesive markers and ensure logical sequencing that guides the reader clearly through the spatial changes shown on the maps.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for basic communication regarding the visual data, employing terms like 'transfomed', 'converted', and 'relocated'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'wich take place in the south east of the corner', 'change with each other', and 'for the sake to facilitate the tourist'. Spelling and word form errors occur ('transfomed', 'courner', 'Cafe'). The range of vocabulary is limited, and attempts at less common words often result in inaccuracies. A higher score requires more precise word choice, accurate spelling, and natural collocation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but grammatical accuracy is weak throughout. There are frequent errors in verb tense, voice, and subject-verb agreement, such as 'map illustrate' (instead of illustrates), 'castle was take place' (instead of was located), and 'Both public beach remain' (instead of beaches remain). Punctuation and article usage also show persistent flaws. Although the meaning remains mostly clear despite these errors, the high frequency of inaccurate structures prevents the essay from reaching Band 6.

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

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