Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

THE GIVEN DIAGRAMS DEMONSTRATE THE CHANGES WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME FROM 2OOO TO ONWARD TODAY OF A HARBOUR.A LOT OF CHANGES CAN BE SEEN IN DIAGRAM WITH PASSING OF TIME.

IN 2000,SOUTHEAST CORNER CONSIST OF CASTLE WHILE NOW CURRENTLY IT IS REPLACED WITH A HOTEL.WITH LEFT SIDE OF THE SOUTHEAST CORNER THEIR IS A PRIVATE BEACH HOWEVER PREVISELT THEIR IS A PUBLIC BEACH.FUTHER IN THE NORTH EAST CORNER NO CHANGES IS MADE.IN THE MID CAFES AND SHOPE WITH ROAD ARE ALSO DEMOLISHED.

IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER MARINA(private yachts) is replaced with fishing boats and currently on place of fishing boats the marina is located.ADDITIONALLY, IN SOUTHEAST CORNER A SHOWERS AND TOILETS SETUP IS ESTABLISHED WHILE CAR PARKING REMAINS THE SAME.IN NORTH EAST NO CHANGES HAVE MADE AND NOW A CAR PARKING AND SHOWERS AS SAME AS.FURTHER THE PALACE OF DOCK IS ALSO MADE NARROW AND ONE BOAT IS ALSO ALLUMINATED FROM THEIR.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempts to address the task by comparing the two maps of Porth Harbour in 2000 and today. While some key changes are mentioned, such as the replacement of the disused castle with a hotel and the swapping of the marina and fishing boats, the response suffers from inaccuracies and confusion regarding spatial locations. For instance, the student states that 'cafes and shope with road are also demolished', which misinterprets the addition of new amenities along the road. Furthermore, the description contains several contradictory statements, particularly regarding the north-east and south-east areas. The overview is weak, and the development of ideas is limited and sometimes unclear, which pulls the score down into the lower-middle band.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response is organized into short paragraphs, but the overall logical progression is flawed. There is a lack of smooth transitions between ideas, and sentences often feel disjointed. Cohesive devices are used minimally and sometimes inappropriately (e.g., 'FUTHER', 'HOWEVER PREVISELT'). Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of ideas is erratic, such as mixing details about the south-east and north-east within the same paragraph. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the exact spatial changes described.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, with frequent spelling and word-choice errors that occasionally impede communication. Examples of errors include '2OOO', 'PREVISELT', 'SHOPE', and 'ALLUMINATED'. The student attempts some less common topic-specific vocabulary such as 'demolished', 'replaced', and 'marina', but overall control is weak. There are also typographical issues like all-caps usage and run-on words ('SHOWERS AND TOILETS SETUP'). The lexical range is limited and minimally adequate for the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0

The grammatical range is very limited, relying heavily on simple sentence structures and direct statements of presence or change. Attempts at complex or passive structures (e.g., 'is replaced with a hotel', 'NO CHANGES IS MADE') often result in frequent errors in subject-verb agreement ('no changes have made') and tense consistency. Punctuation and capitalization are poorly controlled, with missing spaces after commas and periods, as well as random capitalization in parts of the text. These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader.

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