Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The given map illustrates the changes in the blueprint of the harbour in the year 2000 to as of today.
Overall, some of the major changes in the map included the addition/construction of showers and toilets, and the conversion of public beach into private, and the addition of hotels.
Firstly, the map in 2000 has the parking near the car parking adjacent to the showers and toilets, which later in 2026 is occupied for fishing. Apart from this, the addition of new rock strip is also there near the fishing boats for the passengers to park their ferries.
Secondly, the coast on the south-eastern side of the harbour, there present is a castle sand adjacent to it a public beach. Both of them later changed as hotel and by that beach, respectively. Besides, these changes, there is also the addition of cafes and shops adjacent to the beach and a new shower and toilet area in the middle of both the car parkings.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response attempts to summarise the main changes between the two maps, noting key modifications such as the addition of showers and toilets, the conversion of the public beach into a private beach, and the replacement of the castle with a hotel. However, the overview is rather basic, and some details are imprecise or inaccurate (for instance, the student refers to 2026, which is not stated on the prompt, and misinterprets certain spatial relocations). While the main features are touched upon, the lack of thorough development and minor misreadings place this performance at Band 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has an overall structure consisting of an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs marked by sequencing devices like 'Firstly' and 'Secondly'. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed, and referencing is occasionally unclear (e.g., 'the parking near the car parking adjacent to the showers and toilets'). Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion can feel mechanical and awkward, which limits the clarity of the comparisons. These characteristics align with Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with some attempts to use less common items such as 'conversion', 'adjacent', and 'relocation'. However, there are noticeable word-choice and phrasing inaccuracies, such as 'blueprint of the harbour', 'addition of new rock strip', and awkward prepositional phrases like 'the coast on the south-eastern side of the harbour, there present is...'. These limitations restrict the score to Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar is inconsistent. There are several structural errors, missing verbs, and clumsy phrasing, such as 'the map in 2000 has the parking near the car parking adjacent to the showers and toilets, which later in 2026 is occupied for fishing' and 'Both of them later changed as hotel and by that beach, respectively.' While communication is not entirely blocked, frequent minor grammatical errors keep this performance at a Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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