Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-21
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 5.0)
The illustration shows the comparison of Porth harbour in the year 2000 and in the present. Based on the map illustration of Porth Harbour in 2000, there is a single dock in the north public beach for passengers going to south. In addition, Marina private yachts is located in the left side of north public beach. There are also showers, toilets and carpark beside it. In the south public beach, you can see a disused castle on the corner right side. There are also fishing boats on the left side and car park beside it. There is also a lifeboat at the end of the road in the south public beach.
On the other hand, the illustration of Porth Harbour in the present consists of two docks in the north public beach for passengers. Fishing boats were also placed on the left side of the dock wherein there are showers, toilets and car park beside it. South Porth Harbour became a private beach and they rebuilt the unused castle into a hotel. They also added cafes and shops beside the lifeboat at end of the road. Marina private yachts can also be seen in the left side of south private beach; it also has its own showers, toilets and car park beside it.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to describe the main changes shown in the two maps of Porth Harbour between 2000 and the present. While several key developments are captured, such as the relocation of the marina and fishing boats, the conversion of the disused castle into a hotel, and the addition of cafés and shops, there are significant factual inaccuracies in spatial referencing and feature identification. For instance, the text repeatedly misplaces features relative to the 'north public beach' and describes docks inaccurately. Furthermore, there is a lack of an overarching overview paragraph summarising the main trends, which prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Overall, the task is addressed, but with noticeable inaccuracies and under-developed organisation.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is divided into two distinct paragraphs corresponding to the two time periods, which provides a basic structural framework. However, the progression within paragraphs lacks clarity, heavily relying on repetitive spatial markers such as 'on the left side', 'beside it', and 'in addition'. Cohesive devices are used mechanically rather than flexibly. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal logical flow is hindered by awkward transitions and confusing references to locations, making the overall arrangement somewhat difficult to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive, relying heavily on direct lifts from the prompt labels (e.g., 'public beach', 'marina private yachts', 'showers, toilets and carpark', 'lifeboat'). There are limited attempts to use less common vocabulary, though phrases like 'rebuilt the unused castle into a hotel' show basic communicative competence. Word choice and collocation errors are present, such as 'corner right side' instead of 'bottom-right corner' or 'eastern corner', and vocabulary range remains narrow and minimally adequate for the task.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar is inconsistent. There are several tense errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'Fishing boats were also placed on the left side of the dock wherein there are showers' (mixing past and present references inappropriately in a map description). Prepositional and article errors also occur frequently throughout the response. While meaning is generally understandable despite these frequent errors, grammatical accuracy falls short of Band 6 requirements due to persistent inaccuracies.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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