Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The two maps illustrate the condition of a harbour in 2000 and today respectively. There are major upgrades in today's harbour as compared to 2000 harbour.
Starting from the north, there is one more dock built near the public beach in the direction of east. Following on the west side the location of Marina (private yachts) and fishing boats are exchanged and there is addition of one more showers and toilets place next to the location where the current Marina (private yachts) is located. Everything else from the north to west side is plateau. Following the main road in the south direction on the east side where there is a road the road is same as it was in 2000, whereas the is a new place for cafes & shops next to the life boat. But the most noticeable change is the castle is changed in a hotel and the beach next to it which was for public now it is has limited access for only the individuals of the hotel.
Overall, there are major changes that have changed the harbour from the 2000 including construction of new dock and showers and toilets and replacement of castle. Generally, it is a progressive innovation.
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 addresses the main parts of the task by identifying key changes between 2000 and today, such as the swapped locations of the marina and fishing boats, the new dock, the additional showers and toilets, the addition of cafes and shops, and the replacement of the disused castle with a hotel and private beach. An overview is provided in the final paragraph. However, some descriptions are slightly imprecise or awkward, such as stating that 'everything else from the north to west side is plateau' and missing a few subtle details like the second jetty at the northern entrance. Overall, the response covers the essential comparisons well, earning a solid Band 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is arranged with an introduction, body paragraphs progressing geographically from north to south, and a concluding paragraph. Cohesive devices such as 'Starting from the north', 'Following on the west side', and 'Overall' are used to structure the text, though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Paragraphing is present, but grouping all the body details into a single dense paragraph affects readability. Referencing is generally clear, but sentence boundaries occasionally blur due to run-on structures, limiting the score to a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary relevant to the visual data, including terms like 'Marina', 'fishing boats', 'passenger ferries', 'lifeboat', and 'cafes & shops'. There are attempts at less common phrasing such as 'exchanged', 'relocation', and 'progressive innovation', though some word choices are awkward or inaccurate, such as 'plateau' used to mean level or unchanged, and 'individuals of the hotel' instead of 'hotel guests'. Spelling is generally accurate, but lexical control is uneven, placing this comfortably at a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and prepositional phrases (e.g., 'where the current Marina is located'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as missing articles ('the castle is changed in a hotel'), run-on sentences ('whereas the is a new place...'), and preposition errors ('changed in a hotel' instead of 'changed into'). Punctuation slips also occur. While these errors do not severely impede communication, they restrict the grammar score to a Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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