Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-16
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 map illustrates the year 2000 porth harbour and for the area which are renovate now.
Overall, maximum shops are being replace by one another on western side of porth harbour.
On the north side of harbour today along with the public beach the new dock is constructed for passenger ferries while in 2000 there was only a single dock. Moreover, coming towards southern side of harbour new cafes and shops are open today along with lifeboat area. In 2000 there was castle(disused) which is replaced by hotel today.
Along with the hotel today the public beach in 2000 is now displaced by private beach for the hotel. Apart from this, on west side of porth harbour the main road remians same until now while, new erection of showers and toilets is built near the car paking in porth harbour. Fishing boats is now a marine for private yachts whereas, it moves to the north side of porth harbour.
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 compare the harbour maps of 2000 and today, but it struggles significantly with accuracy and selection. Key developments, such as the swapping of the marina and fishing boats, are awkwardly expressed (e.g., 'Fishing boats is now a marine for private yachts whereas, it moves to the north side'), and some details are confused. While an overview is attempted in the second paragraph, it is too vague ('maximum shops are being replace'). The response covers several changes, but the lack of clarity and frequent misinterpretations pull the score down to a Band 5.0, as it addresses the task only partially with limited development.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is divided into paragraphs, but the overall progression of ideas is disjointed and difficult to follow. Cohesive devices are used awkwardly or incorrectly, such as 'moreover, coming towards southern side' and 'apart from this'. Referencing between sentences is often unclear, leaving the reader confused about which part of the map is being discussed. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion is weak. This places the response firmly at Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. The student uses basic terms from the prompt, such as 'harbour', 'dock', 'beach', and 'car park'. There are noticeable word-form and word-choice errors, such as 'renovate' instead of 'renovated', 'marine' instead of 'marina', and 'displaced' used incorrectly for 'replaced'. These lexical inaccuracies and spelling errors occasionally cause strain for the reader, fitting the Band 5.0 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
Grammatical control is weak throughout the response. There are frequent errors in verb tense, subject-verb agreement, and articles (e.g., 'maximum shops are being replace', 'the new dock is constructed', 'main road remians same'). Complex sentence structures are attempted, but they are often faulty or unnatural (e.g., 'The map illustrates the year 2000 porth harbour and for the area which are renovate now'). These frequent errors can cause difficulty for the reader, warranting a Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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