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 given maps demonstrates the differnce between Porth Harbour looks in 2000s and how it looks today.
In 2000s, the toilets and shower were near smaller car park with Marina for private yachts instead of car park for normal fishing boats. There is a public near near the dock that can accommodate two ships at a time. The road that connects car park for fishing boats extends to life boats and castle. There is also public beach near the castle.
Today some architectural changes have been done to the Porth Harbour. The Marina for pivate yachts is changed with the area for fishing boats and the area for fishing boats is being used for private yachts. A toilet and shower area is also built for the other car parking. A cafe is also constructed near lifeboat area. The road is extended more towards the castle which has been converted into a hotel. The public beach near hotel has also been changed into a private beach for hotel. There is a public beach near the dock which has also been upgraded to accommodate three ships at a time.
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 student attempts to cover the main changes between the two maps of Porth Harbour in 2000 and today. However, there are several inaccuracies and vague descriptions in reporting the visual data. For example, the student states that the dock can accommodate 'two ships at a time' and later 'three ships at a time', which is a misinterpretation of the visual elements representing boats and jetties. Furthermore, some spatial descriptions are difficult to follow or inaccurate regarding the repositioning of the marina and fishing boat zones. While an overview is attempted through a brief introductory statement, the lack of precision in reporting specific features places this response in Band 5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is divided into three paragraphs, providing a basic structure with an introduction and two body paragraphs covering the past and present layouts. However, overall progression is limited, and cohesive devices are basic or repetitive. There is a heavy reliance on simple transitions ('In 2000s', 'Today'), and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'the other car parking' or 'near hotel'. Paragraphing separates the time periods logically, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs lacks sophistication, resulting in a somewhat choppy flow. These features align closely with Band 5.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive ('car park', 'public beach', 'fishing boats', 'Marina for private yachts'). There are noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'differnce' (spelling), 'pivate' (spelling), 'normal fishing boats', and 'Marina for private yachts instead of car park for normal fishing boats' (which misstates the spatial relationship). While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey a basic narrative about the harbour changes, the range is limited and contains errors that occasionally cause confusion, fitting the Band 5 descriptor.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('maps demonstrates', 'the toilets and shower were near smaller car park'), missing articles ('near smaller car park', 'near public near near the dock', 'near hotel'), and awkward prepositions. Additionally, there are spelling slips like 'differnce' and 'pivate'. These frequent errors can occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, placing the grammar performance firmly at Band 5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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