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 given diagram illustrates a harbour in 2000 and in present.

As can be seen from the first diagram. There were two public beaches. On the south-east corner, disused castle was located. Moreover, two car parks were also there which was connected by main road. On the upward side of the first car park, showers and toilets were also included. Beside that marina was located there. Alongside of the second car park, boats for the fishing were there. Also, dock, public beaches, passenger ferries and life boat were located on the right side of the

Turning to the present looks. There has significant change compared to the past. In the current port harbour, the number of showers and toilets increased. Also, fishing boats and Marina which is private yachts, their place has switched. Some new facilities, such as cafes, shops & private beach opens. castle is replaced by hotel.

Overall, many places remains same but also few modern facilities added.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The candidate attempts to address the task by describing the main differences between the two maps of Porth Harbour in 2000 and today. However, the response falls short of fully presenting a comprehensive overview. Some key features are mentioned, such as the switching of the marina and fishing boats, the addition of cafes and shops, and the replacement of the castle with a hotel. Nevertheless, the description is somewhat fragmented, lacks precise detail in places, and ends abruptly in the middle of a sentence ('...passenger ferries and life boat were located on the right side of the'). This omission and incomplete overview prevent the response from achieving a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text is divided into four very brief paragraphs, including an introduction and a concluding summary. However, logical organization and progression are weak. The first body paragraph jumps around the map without a clear spatial progression, and the sentence structure becomes fragmented at the end. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes inaccurate ('Turning to the present looks', 'In the current port harbour'). Paragraphing is attempted, but the overall structural cohesion is poor and abrupt.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive. While some task-specific vocabulary is present ('marina', 'passenger ferries', 'disused castle', 'fishing boats'), the student relies heavily on simple words and makes noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'present looks' instead of 'the present day' or 'current layout', and 'boats for the fishing'. Spelling is mostly accurate, but the limited range of vocabulary and frequent awkward phrasing constrain the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response features a mix of simple and attempted complex sentence structures, but control is inconsistent. There are several grammatical errors and awkward constructions, such as 'which was connected by main road' (subject-verb agreement/article omission), 'the number of showers and toilets increased' (missing tense marker for present change), and 'fishing boats and Marina which is private yachts, their place has switched' (faulty sentence structure/dangling elements). Punctuation is also problematic, including sentence fragments and a sentence that cuts off entirely.

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

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