Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-20

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 6.0)

The layout displays Porth Harbour in 2000 and with the changes made recently.

Overall, the location has undergone significant redevelopment. It has been transformed from a traditional harbour to an attractive tourist spot with various recreational facilities.

In 2000, Porth Harbour had an entrance to a public beach on the North Eastern side, followed by an area for passenger ferries and a dock towards the left. Towards West, the main road connected to a car parking area, with the showers and toilets facilities just above it and a portion dedicated to private yachts beside them. On South West, the main road again connected with a car parking area with fishing boats right next to it. The Southern road led to a lifeboat facility near the ocean. Towards South East, there was an abandoned castle with another public beach next to it.

Since then, the harbour has witnessed extensive renovation. The single dock has been introduced with another dock right next to it, and cafes and shops facilities have been added right next to the lifeboat section of the harbour. The fishing boats and private yachts areas have been interchanged, providing more room for the yachts. The barren castle has been transformed into a hotel which is connected with the road, along with a dedicated private beach, which used to be a public beach earlier.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The candidate successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of Porth Harbour in 2000 and comparing them with the current layout. A clear overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the main transformation from a traditional harbour to a tourist spot. Key spatial relationships and changes, such as the relocation of the fishing boats and yachts, the addition of cafes and shops, and the conversion of the disused castle into a hotel with a private beach, are well reported. Minor descriptive inaccuracies exist, such as stating that 'the single dock has been introduced with another dock right next to it' when the layout actually shows an additional jetty and extra berthed boats, but these do not impede the overall satisfactory completion of the task. The response satisfies the requirements for Band 6.5 to 7.0, and is best placed at Band 6.5 due to slight omissions and minor misinterpretations of structural changes.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall progression and logical organisation. It begins with an introductory paragraph, provides a general overview, describes the 2000 layout, and concludes with the current changes. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different time periods and themes. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader through the spatial features, such as 'In 2000', 'Since then', and directional phrases like 'Towards West' and 'On South West'. However, some referencing is slightly awkward or mechanical, such as 'The single dock has been introduced with another dock right next to it'. Overall, the logical structure and cohesive flow meet the criteria for a Band 6.5, leaning towards Band 7.0 for clear overall progression.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, with attempts to use less common and topic-specific items such as 'redevelopment', 'recreational facilities', 'extensive renovation', and 'interchanged'. However, there are some imprecise word choices and slight lexical awkwardness, such as 'barren castle' instead of disused or ruined castle, and 'cafes and shops facilities'. Spelling is accurate throughout, and word formation is mostly correct. While the range allows the writer to convey the message clearly, occasional inaccuracies in collocation prevent the score from reaching Band 7.0, making Band 6.0 an appropriate reflection of the lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The candidate displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms. Complex structures are attempted with relative success, as seen in clauses like 'It has been transformed from a traditional harbour to an attractive tourist spot with various recreational facilities.' There are, however, several grammatical errors and awkward prepositions, such as 'with the changes made recently' (rather than 'and recent changes'), 'entrance to a public beach on the North Eastern side' (lacking precise article use), and 'car parking area' where 'car park' is standard. Errors in punctuation and phrasing occasionally surface, but they do not impede communication. This performance aligns well with Band 6.0 descriptors.

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

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