Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The maps show the transformation of Porth Harbour from 2000 to the present. Overall, a lots of new developments have been made for entertainment and high utilization of the harbour.

On the left side of the harbour, one more complex for showers and toilets are created and the southern car park is now directly accessible from the main road. The positions of the marina and the fishing boats are swapped.

The docking capacity of the harbour is doubled by adding one more dock at the left side of the previous dock. On the south of the map, new cafes and shops are created at the left side of the lifeboat station. Old castle is now functioning as a hotel and a new paved road is extended from the old road to the hotel.

The small public beach at the south of the harbour is transformed into a private beach exclusively for the hotel guests, while there is no changes have been made at the northern public beach and for passenger ferries.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making clear comparisons between the harbour in 2000 and today. Key transformations are identified, such as the swapping of the marina and fishing boats, the addition of the new hotel replacing the disused castle, and the changes to the beaches. An overview is provided in the introduction, capturing the general trend of development for entertainment and increased utilization. Although some minor specific details could be slightly more elaborated, the response covers the core visual data accurately and adequately satisfies the requirements for Task Achievement, aligning well with the Band 7 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response exhibits a clear logical organization and progression throughout. The student introduces the maps and overall trend, then methodically moves through different geographical sections of the harbour across subsequent paragraphs. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different zones of development (e.g., western facilities, docking and southern areas, and beach changes). Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'On the left side', and 'while' are employed effectively to guide the reader through the comparisons, though cohesion is at times slightly straightforward rather than sophisticated, which is typical of a Band 6.5 to 7 level.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'transformation', 'utilization', 'accessible', and 'docking capacity'. However, there are some minor lexical errors or awkward word choices, such as 'a lots of' (which contains a grammatical element too, but affects phrasal accuracy) and phrasing like 'one more complex' instead of 'an additional facility'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with some awareness of style and collocation, but occasional slips keep this criterion at a solid Band 6 level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating passive voice where appropriate (e.g., 'are created', 'are swapped', 'is transformed'). However, there are noticeable grammatical errors and awkward agreements, such as 'a lots of new developments have been made' and 'there is no changes have been made'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur with some frequency and point towards a Band 6 level for grammatical accuracy rather than higher bands.

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

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