Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-26

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 7.0)

The maps illustrate the changes that took place in Port Harbour between 2000 and the present day.

Overall, the harbour has been significantly modernised and developed into a tourist attraction. Several new facilities, including cafés, shops, a hotel and a private beach, have been added, while some existing features have remained unchanged.

In 2000, the main road was located on the western side of the harbour, with two car parks on the northern and southern sides. Showers and toilets were situated near the northern car park. A marina for private yachts was located nearby and was connected to the sea. In the northeast, there was a public beach and a dock, while a disused castle stood in the southeast.

Today, the main road and car parks remain in the same locations, although additional toilets and showers have been provided. The marina and fishing boats have changed locations, and extra docks have been added. The castle has been converted into a hotel with a private beach and a separate access road. Cafés and shops have also been built near the lifeboat station.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear overview of the main changes and selecting appropriate key features to report and compare. The response successfully notes the modernization of the harbour into a tourist attraction, mentioning the addition of cafés, shops, a hotel, and a private beach, alongside alterations to the marina, fishing boats, and docks. The information is fully supported by the visual data without significant omissions or inaccuracies, demonstrating a well-developed understanding of the spatial changes between the two maps.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The text is logically organized with a clear overall progression from the introduction, through the general overview, to detailed descriptions of the past and present layouts. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, separating the introduction, overview, past state, and present state into distinct sections. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall,' 'In 2000,' and 'Today' are used effectively to guide the reader through the temporal and spatial transitions, ensuring a coherent and easy-to-follow response.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student uses a sufficient and appropriate range of vocabulary for this task, successfully incorporating less common lexical items such as 'modernised,' 'disused castle,' 'converted,' and 'facilities.' Word choice and collocation are generally accurate, allowing the information to be conveyed with precision. While there are no highly sophisticated or ambitious idioms, the vocabulary is precise and well-suited to describing map transformations, without any noticeable spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The response exhibits a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, demonstrating control over grammatical forms appropriate for describing changes over time. Examples such as 'The maps illustrate the changes that took place in Port Harbour...' and '...although additional toilets and showers have been provided' show a variety of dependent clauses and passive constructions. The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is handled well throughout, with only minor limitations in structural variety preventing a higher band.

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

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