Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
According to the given maps 'Porth Harbour' following conclusions can be drawn here,
In 2000 the Porth Harbour have less port area for ships making it difficult if more ships to come at the same time and other refreashings areas like cafes and shops were not present however if we talk about todays plan some changes are happend to make it more better port which are essential for the port and for the people.
So the changes in the presents part is they increased the number of plateforms for ships, the castle is converted to hotel so that people can stay and enjoy the port site the beach for public is now under the hotel management just to give great experience for visitors. If we talk about the west side area the Marina area is replace by fishing boats and vise versa for fishing boats area and number of toilets and showers increased as per public needs also an addition to a cafe and shops which are besides the lifeboat area so that people will enjoy.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response attempts to summarize the main changes shown in the maps of Porth Harbour between 2000 and the present. While the student identifies several key transformations—such as the conversion of the disused castle into a hotel, the swapping of the marina and fishing boat locations, and the addition of cafés and shops—the task is addressed in a rather informal, descriptive manner with some inaccuracies in interpretation, such as describing the harbour as having 'less port area' in 2000. Furthermore, there is no clear introductory overview that encapsulates the overarching spatial shifts. The bullet points or comparisons are somewhat underdeveloped, placing this response firmly in the band 5 range due to partial coverage and limited extension of ideas.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The text suffers from a lack of proper paragraphing, presented instead as two very long run-on blocks of text. Cohesive devices are minimal, repetitive, or awkward, such as 'According to the given maps... following conclusions can be drawn' and 'if we talk about todays plan'. Progression of ideas is difficult to follow because thoughts are crammed together without clear logical signposts between spatial transformations. There are issues with referencing, such as 'the presents part' and ambiguous pronoun use. Overall organisation fails to meet the standards of higher bands, reflecting a band 5 performance where cohesion is faulty and paragraphing is absent.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive ('port', 'ships', 'people', 'area'). There are noticeable lexical errors and inappropriate word choices, such as 'refreashings areas' instead of refreshment areas, 'plateforms' instead of berths or facilities, and 'vise versa' spelled incorrectly. While the student attempts some less common terms like 'management' and 'transformations' (implied), the range is limited and inadequate for a precise, academic report. Spelling and word choice errors occur with enough frequency to cause occasional strain for the reader, placing the response at a band 5 level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The grammatical structure of the writing is weak, characterised by extremely long, run-on sentences that lack proper punctuation. For example, the entire opening sentence and the second paragraph consist of complex thoughts strung together with coordinating conjunctions rather than controlled subordination. There are frequent grammatical errors, including tense inconsistencies ('today plan some changes are happend', 'the Marina area is replace'), missing articles, and subject-verb agreement issues ('the Porth Harbour have'). The range of structures is limited, and frequent errors cause difficulty for the reader, aligning with the descriptors for band 5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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