Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-24

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 graphs compare and contrast the information regarding to the porth harbour between 2000 and today.

Overall, number of dock are multiplied today, whereas fishing boats and marina (private yachts) exchaned it's places. New structures are bulit in the form of showers & toilets, cafes & shops and hotel near the private beach.

Porth harbour in 2000 had only one dock for the passengers, at the west, there were showers & toilets, car park and marina, whereas at the south-west, there was another car park and fishing boats. In the south east area there was a castle near the public beach.

Today's porth harbour having some changes around it. The south east area's castle (disused), now converted to a hotel. Further, new areas were developed like cafes & shops and showers & toilets.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempted to summarise the main changes between the two maps, noting the conversion of the disused castle into a hotel, the exchange of locations between fishing boats and the marina, and the addition of new facilities such as cafés and shops. However, the response falls significantly short of the 150-word minimum, containing only 133 words. This under-length limitation directly impacts the level of detail and development expected at higher band levels. Furthermore, there are some inaccuracies in reporting specific features, such as stating that the number of docks multiplied when the map actually shows an additional jetty and berthed boats. Because of the under-length penalty and incomplete coverage of some key spatial shifts, this performance corresponds to a band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The text is organized into four brief paragraphs, attempting an introductory overview, body details, and a conclusion. However, the logical progression is hindered by the extremely short paragraphs and basic transitions. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes awkward, such as starting sentences with 'Today's porth harbour having some changes around it.' Paragraphing is attempted, but the lack of sufficient content makes the structural flow feel disjointed and underdeveloped. Pronoun referencing is occasionally unclear. Overall, these limitations place the coherence and cohesion of this response at a band 5.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive, with several instances of awkward word choice and grammatical slips in lexical forms. For example, the student writes 'exchaned it's places' instead of 'swapped positions' or 'interchanged locations', and 'number of dock are multiplied'. There are attempts at topic-specific vocabulary, such as 'marina', 'fishing boats', 'passenger ferries', and 'disused castle', which show a minimal adequacy for describing maps. However, frequent lexical errors and lack of range prevent the response from achieving a higher band score, resulting in a solid band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentences, but grammatical control is weak throughout the response. There are frequent errors in verb forms, tense consistency, and subject-verb agreement, such as 'Today's porth harbour having some changes around it' and 'New structures are bulit'. The use of prepositions and punctuation is also erratic. While some simple structures are understandable, complex sentence attempts frequently contain errors that cause strain for the reader. These persistent grammatical inaccuracies justify a band score of 5.0.

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