Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-23
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 plan compares a habour in 2000 and present condition. Overall, the current Porth Harbour has additional facilities compared to the past on different location.
To begin with, the castle was present in southern east of the Porth Harbour in the year 2000. Additionally, the main road was loacted at the west, and showers, toilet, car park was nearby of the main road. Marina and fishing boats were also located on the western side of harbour while dock and larger public beach were located at the north.
Moreover, the castle has been replaced by hotel with bifurcation of road towards southern east to reach the hotel however the public beach turned into private beach for the hotel. The lifeboat stood at same position with the addition of cafe and shops next to it towards the west. There has been additional number of amenities like extra showers and toilets as well as extra dock. Lastly, the fishing boats was replaced by marina (private yatchs) in present time.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student successfully addresses the main features of the task by comparing the two maps of Porth Harbour from 2000 and the present. An overview is provided, noting that additional facilities and layout changes have occurred. Key changes are identified, such as the replacement of the disused castle with a hotel, the conversion of the public beach into a private hotel beach, and the shifting of the marina and fishing boats. However, some descriptions are slightly vague or spatially imprecise, such as referring to 'southern east' instead of south-east, and missing a few subtle details like the second set of showers and toilets added in the south-west. Despite these minor omissions, the response adequately covers the core transformations required for this task, fitting a Band 6.0 descriptor well.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a clear overall arrangement with a distinct introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding thought integrated into the final paragraph. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate the past state from current developments. Cohesive devices are used to link ideas, such as 'To begin with', 'Additionally', and 'Moreover', although some transitions are slightly repetitive or mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional awkward phrasing affects the flow. Progression is maintained throughout the text, allowing the reader to follow the spatial comparisons between the two maps without major confusion. This performance aligns comfortably with Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting some topic-specific and less common vocabulary such as 'bifurcation', 'amenities', and 'replaced'. However, there are several word choice and spelling errors throughout the text, such as 'habour' instead of harbour, 'loacted' instead of located, 'southern east' instead of south-east, and 'yatchs' instead of yachts. While these lexical errors and typos do not impede overall communication, they prevent the score from reaching a higher band. The vocabulary is minimally sufficient to convey the comparisons between the two diagrams, making Band 5.5 an appropriate rating.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like relative clauses and passive voice ('the castle has been replaced by hotel'). However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors, including missing articles ('replaced by hotel', 'at west'), preposition errors ('loacted at the west', 'nearby of the main road', 'on different location'), and subject-verb agreement issues ('fishing boats was replaced'). Punctuation and word forms also show frequent lapses. These errors occasionally distract the reader, though they rarely obscure the intended meaning. This fits the profile for Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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