Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-28
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 two maps depict the layout of Porth Harbour in 2000 and its current appearance.
Overall, the harbour has significantly changed over the years. While the dock, public beach, passenger ferries and lifeboats have remained unchanged, the marina and other facilities have changed considerably.
In 2000, there were private marina yachts in the north-western part of harbour, while a fishing boat located in the southern part of the horbour. There were parking areas, showers and toilets were situated. In the eastern part, there was a dock for passenger ferries, as well as a public beach in the north-east side. A disused castle presented on the south side with lifeboats and public beach.
Today, some areas have been unchanged, while several areas have been significantly redeveloped. The marina and the fishing boats have ex-changed positions. Meanwhile, on the left side, there were showers, toilets and car parking areas have not been changed. Furthermore, cafes and shops have been constructed near the lifeboats station. The most significant construction occured on the south side which is the disused castle has been replaced by a hotel, and public beach has become a private beach.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of both maps and makes relevant comparisons, such as noting that the marina and fishing boats exchanged positions and that the disused castle was replaced by a hotel. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the general nature of the changes. However, there are some inaccuracies and omissions in the data reporting; for example, the text states that the dock, public beach, and passenger ferries remained unchanged, whereas the northern dock actually swapped functions with the marina and gained an additional jetty, and the southern beach became a private beach for the hotel. Furthermore, some descriptive details are slightly imprecise. Nevertheless, the main trends and transformations are successfully identified, placing the response solidly in Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organised into logical paragraphs, starting with an introduction, followed by an overview, a description of the 2000 layout, and finally the current layout. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as "Overall", "While", "In 2000", and "Today". However, paragraphing and logical progression are slightly disrupted by minor structural issues, such as the redundant repetition of unchanged features and some clunky transitions between sentences. Reference words are generally clear, but cohesive relationships are sometimes mechanical or overused, preventing the response from reaching a higher band. Overall, the arrangement is coherent and easy to follow, satisfying the requirements for Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with attempts to incorporate less common items and specific topographical terms such as "marina", "disused castle", "passenger ferries", and "redeveloped". However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as "private marina yachts" instead of "private yachts in the marina", "fishing boat located" instead of "fishing boats located", and the invented verb "ex-changed". Spelling is generally acceptable, but word formation and collocation errors occur throughout the text. While the range is sufficient to convey the main points, these inaccuracies restrict the score to Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing introductory subordinate clauses like "While the dock..." and "In 2000, there were...". However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward clause structures, particularly in sentences like "while a fishing boat located in the southern part of the horbour. There were parking areas, showers and toilets were situated" (fragmented and run-on construction) and "the disused castle has been replaced by a hotel, and public beach has become a private beach" (missing article). Tense usage is mostly appropriate for past and present contrasts, but structural control slips in places, causing occasional difficulty for the reader. This performance aligns with Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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