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 diagram illustrates the present plan of harbour and how it in the year 2000.

In 2000, on the western side there was a main road which travels from north to south, which connected two roads from the eastern side. The first road goes to the car park whith showers and toilets. Second road also had parking towards the north side and directly goes to the life boat in the north east direction. There was only a dock in the north. There was also marina and fishing boat towards the west.

In present plan, the main road connected with three roads. first and second road have similar facilities such as, Showers & toilet and car park. Fishing boats and marina changed thier position. In the north-west side two dock has added with the way to public beach. The third road has Y-junction at the end which one goes to lifeboat and other goes to hotel.

In conclusion, the major changes have been made in present plan than in 2000. the present plan contains two dock area, cafes & shops, hotel and private beach.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially and lacks a clear, well-developed overview. While the student attempts to highlight several differences between the 2000 harbour plan and the present layout, key information is frequently misread or confused. For instance, the student states that the marina and fishing boats changed their positions in a confusing manner, and misinterprets elements such as the docks and the roads. Some ideas are presented in a very limited and repetitive way, such as simply listing features in the conclusion without fully integrating them into a cohesive summary of the main trends. To reach a higher band, the writer needs to present a clear, distinct overview of the main developments and report the spatial changes accurately without inaccuracies or omissions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some basic organisation in the response, with an introduction, body paragraphs addressing different areas, and a concluding sentence. However, there is no clear overall progression, and the logical flow between sentences is occasionally hindered by mechanical or awkward transitions, such as 'In present plan' and 'The third road has Y-junction'. Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of information lacks precision—for example, mixing up road layouts and facilities haphazardly within the body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes inaccurate. To improve cohesion, the writer should ensure smoother transitions between temporal references and maintain a clearer, more logical sequencing of spatial details across the map.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited and barely adequate for the task, with noticeable errors in word choice, form, and spelling that occasionally impede communication. Examples include 'whith' instead of 'with', 'life boat' as two words, and phrasing like 'present plan of harbour and how it in the year 2000'. The student attempts some less common vocabulary such as 'facilities' and 'Y-junction', but frequent lexical inaccuracies and awkward collocations persist throughout the text. To achieve a higher score, the writer must expand their lexical range to describe spatial changes more precisely, improve spelling accuracy, and use appropriate terminology for geographical and architectural features.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a very limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple or poorly connected clauses. Attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty, leading to frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that can cause difficulty for the reader. Notable issues include missing articles and prepositions, such as 'present plan of harbour', incorrect verb tenses and forms like 'how it in the year 2000' and 'thier position', and subject-verb agreement issues. To improve this criterion, the writer needs to exercise better control over basic sentence patterns, ensure correct use of articles and prepositions, and produce a higher proportion of error-free complex sentences.

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