Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The given plan illustrate the renovations to the Porth Harbour over two decades, which had a massive commercial changes during this period of time. We will try to summarise them in this report.

First of all, as we can see the castle that was there in the 2000s is removed, and instead, a hotel was built which has a high commercial impact to the area. Furthermore, the public beach that was underneath the caslte is now belongs to the hotel. A number of cafes and shops were established there as well so that the visitors can spend time and do their shopping without going to another area.

Also, there is a new car park, showers and toilets which is expected due to the increase of number of visitors to this place. However, the fishing boats area and the Marina (which is a place to put private yachts) has been switched, meaning, the fishing boats is now smaller than before. Which indicate that more wealthy people are renting this private yacht parking.

To conclude, the changes that Port Harbour's got was expected because of how life changed from the early 2000s to what we are living now.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempts to address the task by highlighting key changes, such as the removal of the castle and its replacement with a hotel, the addition of cafes and shops, and the switching of the marina and fishing boats. However, the response includes conversational filler and meta-commentary, such as 'We will try to summarise them in this report,' which is inappropriate for an academic task. Furthermore, some of the descriptions are slightly inaccurate or based on unsupported speculation, such as stating that the fishing boats area is 'now smaller than before' or suggesting economic implications. While the main features are touched upon, the lack of an initial overview and the inclusion of informal remarks prevent the response from reaching a higher band. It satisfies the basic requirement of reporting some main features, earning a band 5.5.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response is somewhat organized into paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, moving to body points, and ending with a brief conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is rather mechanical and basic, featuring phrases like 'First of all,' 'Furthermore,' and 'Also.' Moreover, the referencing is sometimes unclear, and the overall progression lacks the smooth logical flow expected in an Academic Task 1 response. The inclusion of an unnecessary conversational opening ('We will try to summarise them...') disrupts the academic tone and organizational structure. Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of ideas could be more cohesive. This corresponds to a band 5.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range to communicate basic information about the maps, utilizing terms such as 'renovations,' 'commercial impact,' and 'established.' However, there are notable limitations and word choice inaccuracies, such as 'the castle that was there in the 2000s is removed' (tense inconsistency and basic vocabulary), 'underneath the caslte' (spelling error), and 'now belongs to the hotel' instead of becoming private. There are also informal phrasings like 'a place to put private yachts' and 'Port Harbour's got.' While meaning is generally conveyed, the lexical control is inconsistent and relies heavily on everyday terminology rather than precise geographical or architectural vocabulary, placing it at a band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses ('the castle that was there in the 2000s') and conditional or causal links ('so that the visitors can spend time'). However, grammatical errors are frequent and recurrent. Examples include tense inconsistencies ('The given plan illustrate'), missing articles or incorrect prepositions ('to the Porth Harbour,' 'increase of number of visitors'), and agreement errors ('the changes that Port Harbour's got was expected'). Punctuation and sentence boundary issues also appear, such as sentence fragments ('Which indicate that more wealthy people...'). These errors occasionally cause strain for the reader, aligning the grammar with a band 5.0.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.