Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
Below is a comparison between Porth Harbour in 2000 and today. Highlighting the main plans includes transforming the public beach located in the south of Harbour into private beach, especially for peolpe staying in hotel. This hotel is built near the beach towards the east which is being transformed. A cafe and shops are also established near lifeboat so that people can enjoy their food and drinks and can do shopping. Additional toilets and showers are built to avoid troubles. Switching boats and Marina are switched, to make it easily accessible for people staying at hotel as they usually prefer private yachts. Passenger ferries are increased in number, so that people who loves fishing can enjoy and take their time in the sea. The plans that were made for changes in Harbour are to let people enjoy their time their and to avoid any trouble and inconvenience during their stay.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to summarise the main changes between the two maps of Porth Harbour in 2000 and today. However, it falls short in several areas. Task Achievement at Band 5 is characterised by partial coverage and under-developed ideas. Here, the student mentions several alterations—such as the hotel, the private beach, the cafés and shops, and the switching of the marina and fishing boats—but includes speculative and inaccurate commentary not supported by the visual data, such as claiming passenger ferries increased so people who 'love fishing' can enjoy themselves. Furthermore, the overall overview is absent, and key features are presented as a random list of observations rather than a structured summary.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response suffers from a lack of proper paragraphing, as it consists of a single block of text. There is no clear overall progression or introduction that frames the comparison effectively. While some basic cohesive devices and referencing words are used—such as 'This hotel', 'A cafe and shops are also established', and 'Additional toilets'—the logical flow between sentences is occasionally strained. For instance, jumping abruptly between the hotel beach, cafés, toilets, and marina switches creates a disjointed reading experience. Cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or inadequate, placing this response firmly in the Band 5 category.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, featuring appropriate terms such as 'transforming', 'private beach', 'hotel', 'café and shops', and 'passenger ferries'. However, the range is limited, and there are noticeable lexical and spelling errors that detract from the quality, such as 'peolpe' instead of 'people'. The student attempts some less common phrasing, but word choices are sometimes imprecise or repetitive. Because the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic subject matter despite these errors and limitations, a score of 5.5 is appropriate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, attempting constructions such as relative clauses ('the public beach located in the south of Harbour into private beach') and participial phrases ('Highlighting the main plans includes...'). However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with frequent errors and awkward phrasing, including missing articles ('staying in hotel', 'near lifeboat'), incorrect prepositions ('in the south of Harbour'), and structural awkwardness ('Switching boats and Marina are switched'). These errors can cause some difficulty for the reader, aligning the grammar with the Band 5 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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