Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The picture illustrates a renovated porth harbour today and compare it with the orignal one from 2000.

Overall, porth harbour today has undergone through some changes in the structure , while keeping the original design same. Although, lifeboat, passenger ferries and car park remained at their places, a hotel , cafes and some other facilities are included in the new plan.

In 2000, porth harbour had two public beaches, one in north eastern and the other in south eastern part, the latter one is replaced by a private beach in today harbour.

Furthermore, there was a single dock with passenger ferries surrounding it. Shower and toilets were in north western side, while two car parks were located near main road. Marina for private yatch was located near shower area, whereas fishing boats were near the southern car park area. Along the road, there is a life boat and a big castle which is not used.

In contrast, today's porth harbour has a hotel which has replaced the unused castle. There are cafes, shops and a private beach for people. Moreover, fishing boasts and marina exchanged their sites.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by providing an overview of the changes to Porth Harbour between 2000 and today. It selects and reports key features, such as the relocation of the marina and fishing boats, the addition of a hotel and cafes, and the conversion of the southern beach into a private hotel beach. However, some aspects are under-developed or lack full clarity, such as the spatial relationships of certain minor elements. While an overview is present in the second paragraph, the supporting details in the body paragraphs occasionally lack thorough expansion, which is characteristic of this level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical structure, moving from an introductory overview to specific comparisons between the two time periods. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different features of the harbour. Nevertheless, cohesion at the sentence level is sometimes mechanical or slightly faulty, with referencing that is occasionally unclear, such as transitional phrases that lack smooth integration. Although logical progression is maintained, the cohesive devices are not always used with the flexibility seen at higher bands.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to maps and modifications, such as 'renovated', 'relocated', and 'replaced'. However, there are noticeable word choice, spelling, and word form errors that occasionally distract, such as 'porth' (capitalisation), 'orignal', 'yatch', and 'fishing boasts'. Attempts to use less common vocabulary are present, but these inaccuracies in spelling and collocation prevent the vocabulary score from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over structure when discussing past and present states. There are, nevertheless, several errors in grammar and punctuation, including tense inconsistencies and article omissions, such as 'has undergone through some changes in the structure' and 'in today harbour'. While these errors do not seriously impede communication, they persist throughout the text and restrict the variety of error-free sentences.

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

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