Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-17
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 5.5)
The pictorial diagrams below provides information about a harbour and compares its old plan with its no redeveloped layout.
Overall, The harbour seems to include a public beach to the north, and showers and toilets along with two car parks on the main road. Even if these facilities areas kept their original positions a lot changed and new facilities were added .
Near the southern car park, new showers and toilets were installed, and next to the old dock another one was added.
The areas for fishing boats and Yachts were switched up so now private yachts sit in the northern area.
To the west of the lifeboat, multiple cafés and shops were installed. The castle that was situated in 2000, was converted into a new hotel. Thus, the public beach became a private one for that hotel.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to address the task by highlighting key changes between the two maps of Porth Harbour in 2000 and the present day, such as the relocation of the fishing boats and yachts, and the conversion of the disused castle into a hotel. An overview is attempted in the second paragraph, mentioning features that remained unchanged and general developments. However, the response falls below the required 150-word minimum (containing only 138 words), which negatively impacts task completion. Furthermore, some descriptions are slightly vague or contain minor inaccuracies regarding spatial relationships and features. To achieve a higher band, the student must ensure the word count requirement is fully met and provide a more comprehensive, structured overview of all major transformations.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into multiple short paragraphs, which helps structure the comparison between the two time periods. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as "Overall", "Even if", and "Thus". However, paragraphing is somewhat fragmented, with several single-sentence paragraphs that disrupt the natural flow and logical progression of an academic report. Reference words like "these facilities areas" are slightly awkward. To improve, the student should group related information into cohesive, well-developed body paragraphs rather than isolating single points into separate lines.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, successfully employing topic-specific terms such as "harbour", "marina", "private yachts", "passenger ferries", and "lifeboat". There are some lexical and collocational inaccuracies, such as "no redeveloped layout" (which appears to be a typo for "newly redeveloped") and "switched up" which is too informal for an Academic Task 1 response. Spelling is generally accurate, but control over precise academic vocabulary needs strengthening. The student should incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary to describe spatial changes precisely.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional and relative clauses (e.g., "The castle that was situated in 2000, was converted..."). There are a few grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as "provides information about a harbour and compares its old plan with its no redeveloped layout" and unnecessary comma splices. Verb tense usage is generally appropriate for describing past and present states. To reach a higher band score, the student should eliminate minor errors and incorporate a wider range of error-free complex structures with precise punctuation.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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