Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The layout illustrates the changes being made in the Porth Harbour since 2000.
Overall, it is evident that there are redevelopments done on the harbour over the years. Back then it had some empty space, but today it has become a recreational place for many people. There are additions and shuffling of some of the facilities.
In 2000, the harbour had two car parks near the main road. It had a facility of fishing boats and private yachts. Passenger ferries left from a dock close to the public beach. On the southern side, there was a lifeboat at the junction of the road and water surface. The castle was situated on the south-eastern side and was disused at that time. One small public beach was there behind the castle.
Today, the dock has been extended, and now more passenger ferries are available. There is the addition of another shower and toilets in between the two car parks. Private yachts and fishing boats have switched their places. New cafes and shops are opened near the lifeboat. A hotel has taken the place instead of the castle, while a public beach behind that is switched to the private beach for the hotel.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student covers all major changes presented in the diagrams, effectively reporting the main features such as the relocation of the marina and fishing boats, the expansion of the dock, and the replacement of the disused castle with a hotel. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the transformation from a more empty space to a recreational area with added facilities. However, the overview could be slightly more integrated and precise regarding the specific geographical trends. Despite this, the task response is well-rounded and satisfies the requirements for a Band 6.5 to 7.0 range, appropriately highlighting comparisons between 2000 and the present day.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, a description of the 2000 layout, and a description of today's layout. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different temporal stages. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas, although some transitions feel a bit mechanical or basic (e.g., 'In 2000', 'Today'). Pronoun referencing and overall progression are generally clear, enabling the reader to follow the spatial changes without confusion. To reach a higher band, the student could employ more sophisticated cohesive phrases to link sentences and paragraphs more fluidly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms from the prompt such as 'marina', 'passenger ferries', 'lifeboat', and 'public beach'. There are some successful attempts at less common vocabulary ('redevelopments', 'relocated' implied through context, though phrased as 'switched their places'), but word choice and collocation occasionally falter, as seen in 'redevelopments done' or 'a hotel has taken the place instead of the castle'. Spelling and word formation are generally accurate, but the range of lexical items remains somewhat standard rather than sophisticated.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and prepositional phrases adequately (e.g., 'The castle was situated on the south-eastern side and was disused at that time'). There are several minor grammatical awkwardnesses and errors, such as 'changes being made... since 2000' (tense mismatch), 'the addition of another shower and toilets' (plural/singular agreement mismatch with 'another'), and 'taken the place instead of the castle' (redundancy). However, these errors do not impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout the response.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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