Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)
A comparison has been made between the Porth Harbour of the year 2000 and the one existing today.
Overall, the harbour of 2000 represents a minimal and negligible facilities while the present harbour is reconstructed and renovated for even more facilitated experience for the swimmers.
Starting with the old structure where there was a single toilet located, which is built in between the two car parks at the north-west of the main road. The area of fishing boats and marine private yachts is relocated and exchanged ss the
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response falls significantly short of the 150-word minimum, containing only 88 words and breaking off mid-sentence ("exchanged ss the"). Due to this severe under-length and incomplete state, the task is only addressed in a very fragmentary and minimal way. The overview attempted in the second sentence ("harbour of 2000 represents a minimal and negligible facilities") is somewhat awkward and vague, and the response stops before presenting any coherent body paragraphs detailing the specific transformations such as the new hotel, relocated marina, or added cafés and shops. Consequently, it corresponds to a Band 4.0 descriptor.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5
The text begins with an introductory sentence and an overall statement, attempting a logical progression. However, because the response terminates abruptly at 88 words in the middle of a sentence, paragraphing and overall structural development cannot be fully evaluated. Cohesive devices are minimal, and the abrupt ending prevents any clear logical conclusion from being formed. While the opening attempts a standard Academic Task 1 structure, the unfinished nature of the text limits the overall organisation to a basic level, meriting a Band 4.5.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used in the fragment is quite basic and occasionally inaccurate or unnatural, such as "minimal and negligible facilities" or "even more facilitated experience". There is an attempt to use topic-relevant vocabulary ("harbour", "facilities", "swimmers", "relocated"), but the range is limited and word choice errors (e.g. using "facilities" to describe the state of the harbour) impact precision. A typo ("ss") also appears before the text cuts off. This reflects a limited, minimally adequate lexical range with noticeable awkwardness, fitting Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a complex sentence structure in the overview ("Overall, the harbour of 2000 represents..."), but it contains grammatical awkwardness. Another complex structure ("Starting with the old structure where there was a single toilet located, which is built...") suffers from tense inconsistency and grammatical incompleteness. Because the text is extremely short and cuts off mid-sentence, the sample of grammar is very small and contains noticeable errors that hinder smooth readability, resulting in a Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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