Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The maps compare the changes that took place in the Porth Harbour from 2000 to its current layout.

Overall, it is evident that the area has now been modernized by adding more facilities such as, cafes, shops, hotels,etc. Additionally, a road has been expanded to reach to the hotel, where as, places like car parks, life boat and public beach remain unchanged.

Looking first at the eastern part of the map, additional dock are has been added next to the public beach, while keeping the passenger ferries unchanged. Interestingly, place to keep private yatchs and fishing boats have been switched. Furthermore, additional showers and toilets have been added next to the current marina, while car park remain unchanged.

Turning to the southeast part, the road is expanded to connect to the hotel which was unused castle in 2000. The public beach has been converted into the private beach for the hotel, and cafes and shops are newly constructed next to the lifeboat.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear overview of the main changes and selecting key features for comparison, such as the switching of the marina and fishing boats, the expansion of the road, and the conversion of the castle into a hotel. The overview is evident in the second paragraph, though it includes minor listing elements like 'etc.'. The details reported are generally accurate according to the visual data. The response meets the requirements of Band 6.5 to 7.0, showing a well-developed summary overall, but minor omissions or over-generalizations in specific locational details keep it from reaching higher bands. Therefore, a band score of 6.5 is awarded.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The text is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and body paragraphs separated by logical features (eastern part versus southeast part). Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader, such as 'Overall', 'Looking first at', and 'Turning to the southeast part'. However, there are some minor mechanical cohesive errors and referencing issues, such as 'additional dock are' and awkward phrasings like 'where as'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately. The coherence and overall arrangement reflect a clear logical progression, matching the Band 6.5 to 7.0 descriptors well.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a task 1 response, using terms such as 'modernized', 'relocated', 'converted', and 'constructed'. However, there are noticeable word choice errors and missing articles, such as 'additional dock are' (area), 'yatchs' (yachts), and 'life boat'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with some inaccuracy, placing the lexical range firmly at Band 6.0, as the errors do not impede overall communication but demonstrate limited flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'the hotel which was unused castle in 2000'). There are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues throughout the text, such as missing articles ('a hotel', 'the unused castle'), incorrect prepositions ('reach to the hotel'), and spelling/typographical slips ('where as' instead of whereas). Despite these errors, meaning is generally clear and communication is not impeded. This performance corresponds well to a Band 6.0.

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

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