Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The given maps illustrate a harbour in 2000 and how it looks today.

Overall, it is clear that the Port Harbour has undergone several changes, including the construction of new facilities, such as cafes & shops, and the relocation or removal of some existing structures. However, certain features such as the dock, passenger ferries, lifeboat, and road have remained unchanged.

Looking at the first map, the showers & toilets, car park, and another car park were located on the western side of the map. However, the marina (private yachts) and fishing boats were placed beside of the car park and showers & toilets. In addition, the public beach was situated on the northern side of the map; furthermore, the dock, passenger ferries, and lifeboat were located in the centre of the map; in contrast, the castle was located in the southeast corner of the Harbour.

Turning to the second map, several noticeable changes can be observed. Firstly, the dock, passenger ferries, lifeboat, public beach, and the road have remained unchanged. On top of that, the cafes & shops have been newly built; additionally, on the western side of the park one car park has been replaced by new showers & toilets. Notably, the fishing boats and marina ( private yachts) exchanged their position. Finally, the castle is replaced by the hotel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing a clear summary of the main features and making relevant comparisons between the two maps. The response includes a well-developed overview pointing out both new additions and unchanged elements. Key spatial transformations are accurately reported, such as the exchange of positions between the fishing boats and the private marina, the addition of cafes and shops, and the replacement of the disused castle with a hotel. The information selected is fully grounded in the visual data, and the comparison is logically sustained throughout the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The text is logically organized into four paragraphs, featuring a clear introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for each map. Cohesive devices are used effectively to guide the reader through the comparisons, using phrases such as 'Looking at the first map', 'In addition', 'Turning to the second map', and 'Firstly'. Paragraphing is appropriate and logical, separating the two time periods cleanly. Although referencing is mostly clear, a few cohesive links feel slightly mechanical, but overall progression is well-managed.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate to good range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic task, successfully incorporating terms like 'relocation', 'facilities', 'exchanged their position', and 'structures'. While some vocabulary is repeated (such as 'remain unchanged'), attempts at less common items are generally successful. There are minor unnatural collocations, such as 'placed beside of' instead of 'situated beside', but these do not impede communication and the lexical control is sufficient for a clear presentation of data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writing features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, demonstrating control over relative clauses and introductory prepositional phrases. There is a good variety of error-free sentences, particularly in the overview and concluding remarks. Minor grammatical slips do occur, such as 'the cafes & shops' (unnecessary definite article) and 'is replaced' instead of 'was replaced' when describing past changes, but these errors are infrequent and do not obscure the intended meaning or impede communication.

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