Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The given plans compare how the harbour was in the year 2000 and how it looks today.
Overall,it has benn changed a lot, like a new dock has been created beside's the old dock where passenger ferries are docked.Then the designeted place for private yachts called marina and fishing boats these both have switched their places and then new showers & toilets has been created between both the car parks and whille only one car park was atteched to main road now the other car park is also atteched to the main road for the ease of the public use,new cafe has been opened for tourists. At last the castle which was not being used from a long lime has been coverted into a private hotel additionally,the public beach which was near old castel has now became a private beach for the use of hotel.
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 cover the main changes between the two map panels, noting the modification to the dock, the swapping of the marina and fishing boat locations, the addition of new amenities like showers and cafés, and the conversion of the disused castle into a hotel. However, the student's text falls slightly short of the 150-word minimum, containing only 145 words, which negatively impacts the completeness of the task. Additionally, while the key spatial changes are identified, the overall description lacks a clear, structured overview and condenses multiple distinct developments into a single, overly long run-on sentence. To reach higher bands, the writer must ensure the word count requirement is met and present an organized overview paragraph at the beginning or end.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is organized into a brief introduction and one exceptionally long, dense body paragraph. The student relies on sequential words like 'Then' and 'At last' to link ideas, but the lack of proper paragraphing and terminal punctuation leads to a run-on structure that is difficult to navigate. Cohesive devices are repetitive and sometimes mechanical, such as the repeated use of 'and then' or 'attched to the main road'. Paragraphing is not used sufficiently to separate distinct geographical zones or thematic changes, resulting in a text that lacks clear overall progression and logical separation of ideas.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for conveying basic spatial transformations, employing terms such as 'marina', 'passenger ferries', 'fishing boats', and 'private hotel'. However, there are several noticeable spelling errors ('benn', 'designeted', 'atteched', 'whille', 'coverted', 'castel', 'became') and awkward word forms ('for the ease of the public use'). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive, with frequent reliance on basic verbs and nouns. The lexical choices are sufficient to communicate the main points, but errors in spelling and word choice occasionally distract the reader.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts complex sentence structures, but these are frequently faulty and punctuated incorrectly, resulting in run-on sentences that combine multiple clauses without proper conjunctions or full stops. There are numerous grammatical inaccuracies and punctuation errors throughout the text, such as missing spaces after commas ('Overall,it'), incorrect verb forms ('has benn changed', 'has been created', 'has now became'), and awkward prepositional phrases ('from a long lime'). While simple structures are generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in complex constructions restricts the response to a Band 5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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