Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The plan below demonstrates a harbour in 2000 and the way it looks today. Overall, this shows the diagram of porth harbour in 2000 and the present map of Porth Harbour. There are several changes and replacements.
In 2000, the western side contained two car parks ,showers and toilets, a marina for private yacthts, and a separate area for fishing boats. In the north-east side there was a dock and a ferry service for passengers also available. There was a public beach also to top north side. There was a castle to south-east side. There was a public beach also. There was a road and a lifeboat were also in the south side.
Today, the porth Harbour undergoes several developments. The fishing area has been moved to the north-east side and the showers and toilets have been introduce to the south-west side. The area that was given to the fishing boats but now given to the marina for private yachts. The cafes and shops have also been develop to the south side along the road.
Another great change is that there was a castle but now it has been changed to the hotel. There was a public beach which has been changed into a public beach. Another change is the dock area has been increased.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student covers several main features of the maps, noting key developments such as the relocation of the fishing boats and marina, the addition of cafes and shops, and the replacement of the disused castle with a hotel. However, the overview paragraph is repetitive and fails to provide a clear, concise summary of the overall spatial transformation. Furthermore, there is a minor contradiction/confusion in the text where the student states: 'There was a public beach which has been changed into a public beach,' which misrepresents the visual data (where the southern beach became a private beach for the hotel). Consequently, the response addresses the prompt but lacks full development and precision in reporting all notable changes, fitting a Band 5.5 to 6 level.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay is divided into an introduction and several short body paragraphs comparing the two time periods. However, the progression is somewhat disjointed. The opening paragraph repeats itself heavily ('Overall, this shows the diagram of porth harbour in 2000 and the present map of Porth Harbour'). Paragraphing is attempted, but sentences within paragraphs sometimes lack smooth logical transitions. Cohesive devices are minimal and occasionally mechanical or repetitive (e.g., the frequent use of 'There was...'). Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as the confusing sentence about the public beach. Overall coherence is maintained at a basic level, but organization and cohesion require more flexibility and clarity for higher bands.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with some appropriate terms related to maps and harbour features such as 'marina', 'passenger ferries', 'lifeboat', and 'dock'. However, there are notable spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'yacthts' (yachts), 'introduce' (introduced), and 'develop' (developed). The student also struggles with precise collocation and lexical variety, relying heavily on basic verbs like 'contains', 'was', and 'has been changed'. While communication is not severely impeded, the presence of frequent lexical slips and a lack of sophisticated vocabulary keep this criterion at a Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The essay exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar is inconsistent. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as missing articles ('to south-east side'), tense confusion ('there was a public beach which has been changed into a public beach'), and incorrect verb forms ('the showers and toilets have been introduce'). Punctuation is also flawed in places, such as spacing issues around commas ('car parks ,showers'). Although the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors in basic and complex structures prevents the writing from achieving a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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