Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-01

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 two plans illustrate the changes that have taken place in Port Harbour between 2000 and the present day.

Overall, over the period have lot of changed ith new devepment in present day. The Castle has been converted into hotel, while public beach has become a private beach. In addition, the location of marina and fishing boaths have been switched, and several new facilities have been introduced.

In 2000, there were showers and toilets, car park on the western side of the harbour, besides the main road. To east of these facilities was private-yachts marina, while an area of fishing boats further south side. A road along the southern part of the harbour, leading towards a lifeboat statin. On the eastern side, there was discused castle, next to the public beach.

Today, new showers and toilets constructed above the car park in southern side, whereas new cafes and shops are also built before built lifeboat station a road along sothern side. However, Fishing boats and private-yachts marina switched together. Mainly, public beach have been transformed to private beach, the castle converted into hotel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response attempts to cover the main features of the two harbour plans, noting key transformations such as the conversion of the castle into a hotel and the switching of the marina and fishing boat locations. However, the development of ideas is limited and partially mechanical. While an overview is attempted in the second paragraph, some details are imprecise or awkwardly expressed, such as the description of the new facilities and layout changes. The information provided is sufficient to grasp the general comparison, but certain aspects remain under-developed or lack precise spatial referencing, keeping the response at this particular level. To improve further, the writer should ensure all major structural changes are fully highlighted with clearer comparisons between the two time periods.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays a basic overall organisation with paragraphs dedicated to an introduction, an overview, and specific body details. However, the logical progression is hindered by awkward transitions and repetitive referencing. Cohesive devices are sometimes inaccurate or mechanical, as seen in phrases like 'To east of these facilities' and 'Mainly, public beach have been transformed'. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion within sentences often breaks down, making the flow somewhat disjointed for the reader. Achieving a higher standard would require a more sophisticated range of cohesive ties, smoother transitional phrases, and better control over referencing words to ensure ideas link together naturally and logically throughout the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Vocabulary is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary related to maps and geographical features, such as 'converted', 'facilities', and 'transformed'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors, including spelling mistakes ('boaths', 'statin', 'discused', 'sothern') and incorrect word forms or collocations ('fishing boaths', 'private-yachts marina'). These errors occasionally cause strain and difficulty for the reader. To move up to a higher band, the student needs to expand their range of vocabulary, ensure accurate spelling of common and topic-specific terms, and demonstrate better control over word formation and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer demonstrates a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic clauses. Attempts at complex structures are frequently faulty, leading to noticeable grammatical errors. Examples of errors include missing articles ('showers and toilets, car park'), incorrect prepositions ('above the car park in southern side'), subject-verb agreement issues ('public beach have been transformed'), and fragmented sentence construction ('whereas new cafes and shops are also built before built lifeboat station a road along sothern side'). These frequent errors can cause difficulty for the reader. To achieve a higher score, the student must incorporate a wider variety of error-free complex sentences and pay closer attention to basic grammatical rules such as articles, prepositions, and verb tenses.

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

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