Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The given diagrams illustrate what Porth Harbour looked like in 2000 compared with its present-day layout.

Overall, Porth Harbour underwent significant changes, including an increase in the number of showers and toilets and the introduction of new cafés and shops, while the castle was converted into a hotel. The fishing boats and marina also swapped locations.

In 2000, there was only one dock, compared with two docks today. The number of car parking areas, the private beach and the lifeboat remained unchanged, while the number of showers and toilets increased to two. The fishing boats and the marina have exchanged their locations with each other.

In 2000, there was a castle and a public beach, which have now been replaced by a hotel and a private beach respectively. The beach can now only be used by hotel guests and is no longer accessible to the general public. In addition, there were no cafés or shops in Porth Harbour in 2000; however, cafés and shops have now been added along the road.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear overview and highlighting major changes such as the swap in locations between the fishing boats and the marina, the conversion of the castle into a hotel, and the addition of cafés, shops, and a second set of showers and toilets. The key features of the harbour in 2000 and today are accurately reported and contrasted. However, there are minor inaccuracies in detail; for instance, the text mentions 'two docks today' when the plan shows a second jetty/berth added rather than a completely separate second dock, and the number of car parks actually increased rather than remaining unchanged (one in the north-west and one in the south-west today compared to one car park split or two areas noted). Nonetheless, the response meets the criteria for Band 7 by comprehensively addressing the prompt with a clear overview and supported comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear logical organization and progression throughout. It opens with an introductory sentence defining the task, followed by a well-formulated overview paragraph. The body paragraphs are logically structured, moving systematically through spatial and temporal comparisons. Cohesive devices are used effectively, such as 'Overall', 'while', 'In 2000', and 'In addition'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate general trends from specific spatial changes. Referencing is generally clear and easy to follow. To reach a higher band, the student could employ slightly more sophisticated transitional phrasing to integrate the spatial relationships between the north and south features even more fluidly.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully utilizing topic-specific terminology such as 'marina', 'private yachts', 'passenger ferries', and 'lifeboat'. There are also successful attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'converted', 'exchanged their locations', and 'respectively'. Word choice is generally precise, though there are minor inaccuracies in interpretation or terminology (such as referring to piers/jetties as 'docks'). Spelling and word formation are accurate throughout. The lexical range is sufficient for some flexibility and precision, placing it firmly in the Band 7 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response features a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over structures such as relative clauses ('which have now been replaced') and contrastive subordinate clauses ('while the castle was converted'). Punctuation is accurate and sentence boundaries are clear. There are frequent error-free sentences, and minor grammatical slips are absent. The student successfully manages past and present tense shifts to compare the two time periods ('looked like', 'is no longer accessible', 'have now been added'). This level of grammatical accuracy and structural variety aligns well with the Band 7 descriptor.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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