Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-19
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 given maps illustrate the structure of a harbour in 2000 and how it looks in present time.
Overall, the Porth Harbour has seen some changes in present, as the castle has been replaced by hotel and now it has facility of cafes and shops. However the structure of Harbour looked quite simillar as it was in 2000.
In 2000, there was a castle in the south-east corner which was disused and a public beach beside the castle. The main road passed through western side of Harbour. Two car parking facilities were also available with a showers and toilets. There was a fishing boats and a marina(private yachts). On the east side of the Harbour a place was maintained for passenger ferries and two boats were present at a time.
Whereas, today the castle has been replaced by hotel and the beach is now transfered to private through public. In addition, cafes and shops are also built near the lifeboat, and one more rest room is added. Whereas, fishing boats and marina has replcaed by each other. Furthermore, there is now three boats are available at the public beach.
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 addresses the main parts of the task by identifying key alterations between 2000 and the present, such as the replacement of the disused castle with a hotel, the addition of cafes and shops, and the swapping of locations for fishing boats and the marina. An overview is attempted in the second paragraph, though it contains some awkward phrasing ('in present time', 'has seen some changes in present'). While the response covers the primary features, some details are slightly inaccurate or vague, such as stating 'three boats are available at the public beach' when the northern dock area shows two boats berthed at expanded jetties. Overall, the response meets the basic requirements for Task Achievement, earning a solid Band 6.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged into four paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs detailing the past and present layouts. Cohesion is attempted using linkers such as 'Overall', 'However', 'In 2000', and 'Whereas'. However, some cohesive devices are used clumsily or repetitively, notably the frequent use of 'Whereas' to start sentences in the final paragraph. Paragraphing is present, but logical progression between sentences occasionally falters, particularly in the description of the map changes. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as 'the beach is now transfered to private through public'. These cohesion and organizational weaknesses place the response securely at Band 5.5.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary to describe the maps, including words like 'harbour', 'marina', 'facilities', and 'replaced'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'in present time', 'car parking facilities', 'rest room' (instead of restrooms or toilets), and 'transfered to private through public'. Spelling errors also occur, such as 'simillar' and 'replcaed'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the general message, these persistent inaccuracies prevent the score from rising into the higher bands, making Band 5.5 an accurate reflection of lexical performance.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses ('which was disused') and passive voice constructions ('has been replaced'). However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several errors in article usage, prepositional phrases, and verb forms, including 'how it looks in present time', 'a fishing boats', 'fishing boats and marina has replcaed by each other', and 'there is now three boats are available'. These frequent errors occasionally cause minor confusion for the reader, though communication is generally maintained. This performance aligns with the descriptors for Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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