Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-25

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 6.0)

The diagram illustrates the changes occured in Porth Harbour from 2000 until now.

Overall, there have been a remarkable change in the number of docks including the ferries and a significant development in the infrastructure provided for visitors.

First of all, as we arrive to the harbour from the south, on the right hand side there is a noticeable change to the road that leads to a Hotel, which was once an abandoned castle.In 2000, this road gave access to a nearby car parking and a life boat area, which remains the same now. The public beach has been converted to a private beach managed by the hotel. Beside the lifeboat, there are newly opened cafes and shops and next to that is an area specially designed for private yachts which in 2000 was used for fishing boats. The access to car parking is reconstructed from the main road accompanying with extra showers and toilets.

As we move further to north, the car parking and showers are still the same, except for the rearrangement in the fishing boat area. Subsequently, the number of docks and passenger ferries has also increased to one each.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student makes a good attempt to summarize the main changes shown on the two maps, noting key developments such as the conversion of the castle into a hotel, the rearrangement of the marina and fishing boats, and the addition of new amenities like cafés and shops. However, the response lacks a clear, fully articulated overall trend or summary of the spatial transformations at the beginning, and some features are described somewhat confusingly (e.g., stating the number of passenger ferries increased to one, whereas the maps show a dock with berthed boats/ferries). While the main features are touched upon, the lack of precision in reporting specific geographical shifts keeps this criterion at Band 6.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response attempts a structured spatial approach by using directional markers ('as we arrive to the harbour from the south', 'As we move further to north'), but the progression feels somewhat conversational and disjointed rather than strictly analytical for an Academic Task 1 report. Paragraphing is minimal, with the main body compressed into a single dense paragraph that covers multiple areas at once. Cohesive devices are occasionally mechanical or slightly awkward (e.g., 'First of all, as we arrive...'). Reference pronouns are mostly clear, but the logical flow between sentences could be tighter.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, with some appropriate terms related to geography and infrastructure, such as 'infrastructure', 'converted', 'reconstructed', and 'arrangement'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation issues, such as 'changes occured' (spelling/form), 'car parking' (instead of 'car park'), and somewhat informal phrasing like 'as we arrive to the harbour'. Less common lexical items are attempted, but inaccuracies in usage prevent the response from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses ('a Hotel, which was once an abandoned castle') and adverbial clauses. However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward constructions throughout the text, including the spelling error in 'changes occured', missing articles or incorrect prepositions ('arrive to the harbour', 'car parking'), and a run-on sentence structure in places. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to restrict the score to Band 5.5.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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