Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The maps presents the changes of Porth Harbour between 2000 and the present day.

Overall, most of the existing structures have remained in their original locations, although several new facilities have been added and some existing buildings have been repurposed focusing on the turism.

The showers & toilets, and car parks have remained in the same locations. However, the access road leading to the larger car park on the southern side has been relocated from a southern side to western side connecting the main road for better accesibility. A new shower and toilet facility has also been constructed between the two car parks. In addition, the locations of the marina and the fishing-boat area have been interchanged. Now Marina has a larger spot.

A new building containing a café and shops has been constructed beside the lifeboat station. A new road has been built to provide access to the disused castle at the south eastern corner, which has been reconstructed and converted into a hotel. Furthermore, the beach beside the hotel, which was previously open to the public, is now restricted to hotel guests.

Finally, a second dock has been constructed immediately next to the existing dock for passenger ferries, meaning that there are now two docks. The public beach beside at the north eastern corner has not changed in all those years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student addresses all parts of the task by identifying and reporting the main features and significant changes in Porth Harbour between 2000 and the present day. A clear overview is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting that while many structures remained, several new facilities were added and buildings repurposed. Key transformations are accurately noted, such as the swapping of the marina and fishing-boat areas, the conversion of the disused castle into a hotel, and the addition of a second dock, new cafes, and a private hotel beach. However, there are minor inaccuracies in detail; for instance, the student claims the access road was relocated from the southern side to the western side, whereas the main road ran along the west in both plans. Overall, the response is well-developed and covers the visual data effectively, earning a solid band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and well-structured body paragraphs detailing the specific developments. Information and ideas progress logically from general structural observations to specific additions like the hotel, cafes, and docks. Cohesive devices are used appropriately to guide the reader through the comparisons, such as 'Overall', 'However', 'In addition', and 'Furthermore'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, separating the general summary from specific geographical changes. Referencing is generally clear, though minor improvements in transitional phrasing could make the flow even more seamless.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate to good range of vocabulary suitable for a process or map comparison task, employing terms like 'repurposed', 'interchanged', 'relocated', and 'reconstructed'. There are a few vocabulary and spelling inaccuracies, such as 'turism' instead of 'tourism' and 'beside at the north eastern corner', but these do not impede communication. The writer attempts some less common lexical items with varying degrees of success, maintaining a generally appropriate academic tone throughout the response. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on eliminating minor spelling slips and employing more sophisticated collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, with a good variety of structures such as passive voice constructions ('has been constructed', 'has been repurposed') and subordinate clauses ('although several new facilities have been added', 'which was previously open'). While the majority of sentences are grammatically sound, there are a few minor grammatical and punctuation slips, such as the initial error 'The maps presents' (subject-verb agreement) and missing articles in phrases like 'Now Marina has a larger spot'. Nevertheless, these errors do not impede communication and demonstrate an overall good control of grammar.

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

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