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 layout depicts the information about changes that took place in Porth harbour between 2000 and the present day
Overall , it is crystal clear that many building was destroyed and new once were built . However public beach , car parking and life boats are remain similar after their redevelopment .
At a glance , in 200 castle located in south east side was demolished and new hotel were built . Public beach located near the castle was replaced by private beach for the hotel . As new shops and cafe were introduced near a road .
Moving ahead , fishing boats and marina are replaced with each other . A new showers and toilets was setup between car parking . Whereas dock area increased and two dock are setup which is parallel to each other and new boats are introduced . As people travel by passenger ferries
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student attempts to address the task by comparing the layout of Porth Harbour in 2000 and the present day, covering major changes such as the replacement of the castle with a hotel and the swapping of the marina and fishing boat locations. However, the response contains several inaccuracies and omissions regarding the visual data. For instance, the student states that 'car parking and life boats are remain similar', but misses key details such as the addition of new cafes and shops, and the reconfiguration of the dock. The overview is somewhat basic, and the development of ideas is limited, leading to a score of 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response exhibits some basic organization, beginning with an introductory statement and attempting to guide the reader using transition markers like 'Overall', 'At a glance', and 'Moving ahead'. However, paragraphing is poorly handled, with sentences awkwardly broken up and lacking logical progression. Furthermore, cohesive devices are sometimes misused or repetitive, and referencing is occasionally unclear (e.g., 'in 200 castle located...'). The overall structure feels disjointed, resulting in a band score of 5.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, with frequent reliance on simple terms to describe spatial changes (e.g., 'destroyed', 'built', 'replaced'). There are noticeable lexical and spelling errors, such as 'new once' instead of 'new ones', '200' instead of '2000', and awkward phrasing like 'dock area increased and two dock are setup'. While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the general topic, it lacks the precision and range required for higher bands, fitting the band 5.0 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control is weak. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('many building was destroyed', 'new hotel were built', 'life boats are remain'), tense inconsistencies, and missing articles. Punctuation is also faulty, with missing periods and irregular spacing. These persistent errors cause some difficulty for the reader and reflect a band 5.0 performance.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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