Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-29
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 plans illustrate developmental changes at Porth Harbour in 2000 and how it looks today.
Overall, a lot of new services has been introduced for the people. All the services that has newly been introduced are meant to facilitate people and to provide them variety of options.
In the east where there was only a single dock and a public beach in 2000, now it has two docks along with the public beach. The disused castle in 2000 has been modified into a hotel. The public beach near the disused castle now has been changed into a private beach beside the newly constructed hotel. Cafes and shops has been constructed now at the empty area near the lifeboat.
The space designated for fishing boats and the Marina has been interchanged with eachother. In 2000 there was only one facility of showers and toilets near a car park. However there were two car park areas. But now each car park area has its own showers and toilets area.
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 student covers the main changes shown on the maps, such as the interchange of the marina and fishing boat areas, the addition of cafes and shops, the conversion of the castle into a hotel, and the reconfiguration of the car parks and showers. However, the overview lacks specificity and fails to highlight the most salient overall trends (such as the general modernisation and the shift towards tourism facilities). Furthermore, the phrasing 'in 2000 and how it looks today' in the introduction is slightly awkward. While most key features are identified, the development of some points could be more analytical and directly comparative. Therefore, it meets the requirements for a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organised into four paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the spatial changes. There is a clear attempt at logical sequencing, moving from general services to specific location-based alterations. However, cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or repetitive, and referencing is occasionally vague (e.g., 'now it has two docks'). Paragraphing is acceptable, but the overall progression lacks seamless transitions between the disparate map elements, anchoring the response firmly at Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a map task, such as 'designated', 'interchanged', 'modified', and 'newly constructed'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation issues, along with subject-verb agreement errors involving vocabulary items (e.g., 'a lot of new services has', 'Cafes and shops has been constructed'). Less common vocabulary is attempted with some inaccuracy. This performance corresponds to Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but grammatical control is inconsistent. There are several clear errors in subject-verb agreement ('services has', 'Cafes and shops has'), passive voice formation ('has been newly introduced'), and minor prepositional inaccuracies ('near the empty area'). Although these errors do not severely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the score from reaching Band 6.5. A score of 6.0 is appropriate.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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