Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-18
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 map illustrates the structural changes and developments that took place in Porth Harbour in 2000.
Overall, the area underwent significant changes, with the opening of new cafes & shops, and an extra Dock. The most noticeable development was the conversion of old castle into a new Hotel with a private beach.
In 2000, the Porth Harbour had a single Dock for passenger ferries which was upgraded and now it has the 2 docks to carry more passengers. Other than that, new cafes and shops are constructed on the west side of the lifeboat. The major development include the construction of the hotel which is replaced by the old castle in the northeast side of the Harbour, with a private beach for the hotel guests.
There was a spot for the fishing boats on the east side of car park which now allocated to the Marina (Marina's private yachts). And the fishing boats relocated in the west side of docks besides showers & toilets. In 2000, there were two car parks, one was connected with the main road while the other with a road that leads to lifeboat. Now, both car parks are connected with Main road to provide easy car parking. Moreover, the additional showers & toilets are also constructed near the Marina (private yachts).
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student attempts to address the task by highlighting several key changes between 2000 and the present day at Porth Harbour. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, mentioning the cafes and shops, an extra dock, and the hotel. However, there are several inaccuracies in spatial reporting. For instance, the student states that the old castle was replaced by the hotel in the northeast side, whereas the castle was in the southeast. Additionally, some descriptions of relocated areas contain confusion regarding directions and swapping of the Marina and fishing boats. Nevertheless, the main trends are adequately captured, earning a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into four paragraphs, moving from an introduction and overview to specific body paragraphs detailing spatial changes. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'Overall,' 'In 2000,' 'Other than that,' and 'Moreover,' though some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive in their sentence openings (e.g., starting multiple sentences with temporal markers). Referencing is generally clear, though minor confusion in directional descriptions slightly impacts the logical flow. Overall, the response meets the criteria for Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, successfully using domain-specific terms such as 'marina', 'private yachts', 'passenger ferries', 'lifeboat', and 'fish boats' (though 'fishing boats' is the prompt term). There are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'the old castle is replaced by the hotel' (misusing passive voice or directional logic, as the hotel replaced the castle) and 'which now allocated to'. Spelling is generally accurate, but lexical control is limited, placing this firmly at a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses ('which was upgraded') and subordinate clauses ('while the other with a road that leads to lifeboat'). However, there are notable grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'now it has the 2 docks to carry more passengers', 'the major development include', and 'which now allocated to the Marina'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but grammatical inaccuracies occur with sufficient frequency to impede clarity in places, consistent with a Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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