Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The given plans compare how the porth harbour has changed between 2000 and today.
Overall,the plan has undergone some major changes including increasing the dock number,showers & toilets.
Initially,in 2000 there was a car park interconnected with the main road and another one was joined with the road through to the lifeboat.Today,the road joined with the branch road has interlinked to the main road also.Once in the south west corner there was a disused castle with a public beach.Consequently,today that castle has turned into a hotel and the public beach with it has made the hotel's private beach.
Today, the marina(private yachts ) and fishing boats area has altered there place.There are several areas that has added over the time including cafes & shops just beside the lifeboat area.Other areas including the public beach in the north east corner ,passenger ferries just behind the dock ,showers & toilets in the north west remained unchanged.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response attempts to cover the main changes between 2000 and today, such as the replacement of the castle with a hotel, the swapping of the marina and fishing boats, and the addition of cafés and shops. However, the overview is rather weak, mentioning only an increase in dock number and showers, and some key spatial details are imprecise or slightly misread (for instance, stating the marina and fishing boats 'altered there place' without fully clarifying the swap, and minor phrasing around beaches). While the main features are touched upon, the lack of full development and occasional sweeping statements keep this performance around Band 5.5 to 6.0. To improve, ensure all major structural changes are grouped logically and highlighted clearly in a robust overview.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is organised into four paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the map changes. However, referencing and cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or faulty, such as 'Consequently,today that castle has turned into a hotel', which misuses a causal connector. Additionally, spacing and punctuation errors (like missing spaces after commas and periods, e.g., 'Overall,the plan') disrupt the flow. Paragraphing is attempted, but the overall progression feels somewhat disjointed due to abrupt transitions between sentences. This performance aligns with Band 5.5.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully using terms like 'interconnected', 'disused castle', and 'relocated' (though using 'altered there place' instead). There are noticeable lexical and spelling errors, such as 'there place' instead of 'their place', and missing spaces. Less common items are attempted with mixed success. While communication is not severely impeded, the frequency of word-choice and mechanical errors places this response firmly at Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses ('a car park interconnected with the main road') and passive constructions. However, grammatical errors occur with some frequency, including subject-verb agreement issues ('There are several areas that has added') and preposition/article inaccuracies. Punctuation errors are also prominent, particularly missing spaces after punctuation marks. While simple sentences are generally controlled, complex structures often contain errors that cause some friction for the reader, fitting the Band 5.5 criteria.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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