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)

The maps below shows change of a harbour from 2000 to now.

Overall, There are some samll changes occur with in the years where unused castle use as hotel now and public beach ues as private beach now.Moreover, There were no cafes and shops before which add in left side of lifeboat and one dock include in middle of the harbour.

In 2000, porth harbour was well developed where there is little changes are occur. Simillarites are main road is located west part of harbour and also a branch road which is south side of harbour before it only used for going to lifeboat but now this road is use for reach in cafes and shops, lifeboats and hotel. Additionally, public beach remain in same location as it was in 2000.Also, one showers and toilets zone are added insouth-west side in todays porth harbour. Dock numder twice and one passenger ferries add. Afterward, unused castle is utilize as hotel and fishing and marine private yachts alter their position. Public beach use as private beach now.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to address the task by highlighting key changes between the two maps, such as the conversion of the disused castle into a hotel and the alteration of the marina and fishing boat positions. However, the overview is extremely brief and lacks a comprehensive summary of the most significant transformations. Furthermore, some descriptions are confused or inaccurate, such as mentioning 'dock numder twice' and unclear references to passenger ferries and docks. The development of main features is somewhat limited and lacks precision in spatial description, placing the response firmly at Band 5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is divided into paragraphs, but the logical progression and overall structure are weak. The introduction is poorly formed ('The maps below shows change'), and transitions between sentences are often abrupt or mechanically forced ('Afterward'). Referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult to follow the spatial relationships between the features in 2000 and today. Cohesive devices are used rather inadequately and repetitively, resulting in an overall arrangement that feels disjointed and difficult to follow consistently.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is quite basic and repetitive, with frequent reliance on simple terms ('change', 'add', 'use'). There are numerous lexical and collocation errors, such as 'unused castle use as hotel', 'cafes and shops which add in left side', and 'reach in cafes'. While the student attempts to name specific features from the map (e.g., 'lifeboat', 'private beach', 'marina'), the lack of accurate word formation and control over phrasing restricts the lexical range and causes noticeable strain for the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The text displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple clauses and faulty attempts at complex sentences. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout, including subject-verb agreement issues ('The maps below shows', 'changes are occur'), tense confusion ('castle use as hotel now'), missing articles, and incorrect prepositions ('insouth-west side', 'on south side'). These persistent errors frequently cause difficulty for the reader and demonstrate weak control over basic sentence construction.

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

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