Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The map illustrates how a harbour has transformed in 2000 and present day.
Overall, it is evident that, the area underwent significant redevelopment, with introduction of several facilities and the removal of some older structures. Meanwhile, several area remained unchanged over the period.
In 2000, the north-western section contained showers & toilets, car park, and marina while in the south western part there were car park and fishing boats. Today, the marina and fishing boats area has exchanged their place while another car park area has been constructed which is linked with the main road in the western side. Moreover, there was one dock before but after redevelopment one more dock has been added in the northern part.
However, cafes and shops constructed in the southern part of the harbour which is beside the lifeboat area while castle(disused) section has been replaced by a hotel which is also linked with the road.In addition, for residents of hotel, a private beach area introduced near the hotel. While, the section of public beach, passengers ferries, and the lifeboat remained in the same place over the perieod.
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 covers all key features of the two maps, successfully identifying major changes such as the swapping of the marina and fishing boats, the addition of a hotel replacing the disused castle, the construction of new cafés, shops, and car parks, and the creation of a private beach. An overview is present at the beginning, noting general redevelopment alongside areas that remained unchanged. While the response successfully highlights the primary spatial and structural shifts, some descriptions of exact locations are slightly imprecise. Nevertheless, all parts of the prompt are addressed, fulfilling the requirements for Band 6.5 to 7.0. Given the clear overview and accurate tracking of the primary changes, a band score of 6.5 is well-supported.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs detailing specific spatial changes, and appropriate sequencing. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Meanwhile', 'Today', 'Moreover', and 'However' are used to connect ideas, though some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive in structure. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate general introductory comments from specific sectional comparisons. Reference words are mostly clear, though occasional minor slip-ups in referencing occur (e.g., 'exchanged their place' instead of 'swapped locations'). Overall arrangement is coherent, allowing for easy reading and logical progression throughout the text, matching the criteria for Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common and topic-specific items such as 'redevelopment', 'constructed', 'exchanged', and 'facilities'. However, there are several word choice, collocation, and phrasing inaccuracies, such as 'how a harbour has transformed in 2000 and present day' (instead of 'between 2000 and the present day'), 'exchanged their place' (instead of 'swapped positions'), and spelling/article slips like 'passengers ferries' and 'perieod'. Vocabulary is generally sufficient to convey the main points clearly, but the presence of noticeable lexical inaccuracies places this comfortably at Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and introductory prepositional phrases. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several structural and punctuation errors, including missing prepositions or articles (e.g., 'with introduction of several facilities', 'in the western side', 'beside the lifeboat area while castle(disused) section'), missing punctuation before a new sentence ('road.In addition'), and tense inconsistencies. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the writing from achieving a Band 7.0. A score of 6.0 reflects a mix of correct simple structures alongside recurrent grammatical inaccuracies.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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