Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)
The image displays a two maps of Porth Harbour in 2000
and other Porth Harbour from today. The map shows the Showers & toilets, Marine (private yachts), Dock, Public Beach, Car Park linked with a main road and other car park connected with Fishing Boats, Public beach nearby the castle(disused), Road with Lifeboat. Except Both Car Park, other all places were around with Passenger ferries. Todays layout having Showers & toilets, Marine (private yachts) replaced with Fishin Boats, Dock, Public Beach, Car Park linked with a main road and other car park connected with Fishing Boats replace with Marina private yachts, Nearby Public beach for the beach introduced, Castle Disused converted with Hotel, Both t the roads are now linked to main road and With Car park Showers & toilets built and on the road with Lifeboat, Cafes & Shopes are introduced next to life boat. These are the changes happened
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5
The response attempts to describe the main changes between the two maps of Porth Harbour in 2000 and today. While it mentions several alterations, such as the replacement of the castle with a hotel and the introduction of a private beach, the information is presented in a fragmented, highly confusing manner. Key features are inaccurately described or difficult to follow due to poor expression, such as claiming that 'other all places were around with Passenger ferries.' There is no clear overview provided of the overall transformation of the area. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed, earning a Band 4.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0
The text lacks logical organisation and clear progression. It is written as a single dense paragraph filled with disjointed statements rather than structured paragraphs with distinct topical themes. Cohesive devices are either missing or misused, with repetitive phrases like 'Both Car Park' and 'Both t the roads' creating abrupt transitions. Referencing is frequently unclear, making it very difficult for the reader to follow the spatial relationships between the various features on the maps. Overall organisation corresponds to Band 4.0 descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 4.0
The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, frequently relying on direct lifting of terms from the prompt, such as 'Showers & toilets', 'Marina (private yachts)', and 'Fishing boats'. There are multiple vocabulary and word-choice errors, including 'Marine' instead of 'Marina', 'Shopes' instead of 'shops', and awkward phrasing like 'Todays layout having'. Less common lexical items are attempted but handled inaccurately, limiting the range and causing strain for the reader, which places this response at Band 4.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0
The grammatical structures are predominantly simple or attempted complex sentences that contain severe errors. There are frequent issues with subject-verb agreement, missing articles, incorrect prepositions, and tense usage, as seen in 'The image displays a two maps' and 'Castle Disused converted with Hotel'. Punctuation and sentence boundaries are poorly controlled, resulting in run-on sentences that lack clarity. The frequency of grammatical errors significantly impedes comprehension, aligning with Band 4.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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