Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-30
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 map illustrates changes that took place at porth harbour between the year 2000 and at present.
Overall, the area underwent siginificant changes such as private beaches, cafes & shops, hotels. While some features remained unchanged like roads, life boats and public beach in the north. Several new facilities were added for example cafes and shops, hotel and some existing features including fishing boats, marina were replaced.
In 2000, porth harbour consisted of dock, public beach and shower & toilets. Dock was located in the northern region, while public beach were situated in two different locations (northern & southern region). In addition, shower & toilets was located in western region near the car parking.
By today, the area has changed considerbaly. Castle at the south-east corner replaced by hotel, while
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, stopping abruptly at only 130 words with an incomplete sentence at the end ("while"). Furthermore, the task is only partially addressed because the student stops writing mid-way through the description of the second map. While an attempt is made to provide an overview and mention several changes (such as the hotel replacing the disused castle and the addition of cafés and shops), the severe under-length and incomplete delivery significantly limit the development of the response. To achieve a higher band score, the candidate must ensure all main features of both maps are fully described and the word count threshold is securely surpassed.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The essay displays a basic structure with an introductory paragraph, an overview, and the beginning of a body paragraph. However, the text is cut off abruptly mid-sentence, preventing any logical conclusion or full progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are used simply, such as "Overall" and "In addition", but the lack of completion heavily disrupts the overall cohesion and organisation of the response. Paragraphing is attempted, but the final paragraph is left as a single dangling fragment. To improve, the student needs to develop full paragraphs with clear referencing and ensure the essay is brought to a logical completion.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms such as "harbour", "facilities", "replaced", and "region". However, there are several spelling and typographical errors, such as "porth" instead of "Porth", "siginificant" instead of "significant", and "considerbaly" instead of "considerably". The range is somewhat limited, and repetition occurs, but the vocabulary remains minimally adequate for conveying basic information about the maps. To enhance lexical resource, the student should use a wider variety of precise spatial and comparative vocabulary and carefully proofread for spelling accuracy.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response features a mix of simple sentence structures and attempted complex forms. There are noticeable grammatical errors, such as missing articles ("at porth harbour", "replaced by hotel") and pluralisation errors ("public beach were situated"). Additionally, the sentence structure completely breaks down at the very end of the text, leaving an unfinished clause ("while"). Despite these errors, the earlier sentences are mostly understandable. To improve grammatical range and accuracy, the student must focus on article usage, subject-verb agreement, and ensuring that all sentences are grammatically complete.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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