Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-02

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 design of Porth Harbour is greatly enhanced for the public, as it is more accessible now, Previously Marina and public had the same entrance which could cause congestion parks have their own adjacent showers and toilets unlike before where one side had to walk to the other car park to use the rest rooms. The position of fishing boats and marina is also swapped so that its easier for the public on the beach to get fishing boats if they require without causing a congetsion for the private yachts.

Another attraction are the cafes and shops built there, now people can have access to food and drinks right there on the beach without bringing their own.

But the major attraction is that they turned the old castle into a lavish hotel for people wanting to stay the night are enjoy food with nice service and good view. The hotel has its own private beach which people of the hotel can use peacefully to enjoy to the max.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses the main features of the two maps of Porth Harbour, noting the changes to the marina, fishing boats, amenities, and the castle. However, some parts of the task are handled more fully than others. While the student identifies key transformations such as the swapping of the marina and fishing boats and the conversion of the castle into a hotel, certain details are under-developed or based on speculation not strictly supported by the visual data, such as claiming the hotel offers 'good view' or describing hypothetical visitor behavior. To reach a higher level, the response should provide a more precise, objective summary of the spatial changes without relying on unsupported assumptions, ensuring all major visual shifts are fully and clearly reported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement and attempts to group related changes into paragraphs, such as facilities in the first paragraph, retail additions in the second, and the hotel development in the final paragraph. However, the logical progression is sometimes hindered by mechanical or faulty cohesion, and referencing is not always clear. For instance, sentences are occasionally fused or lack appropriate conjunctions, as seen in 'The design of Porth Harbour is greatly enhanced for the public, as it is more accessible now, Previously Marina...'. Paragraphing is used, but transitions between ideas can be abrupt. To improve, the writer should employ clearer referencing words, better punctuation to separate independent clauses, and more varied cohesive devices to ensure smoother progression throughout.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate basic comparisons between the two maps. There are successful attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'accessible', 'congestion', and 'lavish hotel'. However, there are noticeable word choice inaccuracies, awkward collocations, and spelling slips that slightly impede natural expression, such as 'are enjoy' instead of 'and enjoy', and repeated spelling errors like 'congetsion'. Phrasing can also be overly conversational rather than academic. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to incorporate a more precise range of functional vocabulary suited to describing map changes, while eliminating errors in word formation and ensuring natural collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response shows a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures like relative clauses and conditional ideas. However, there are frequent structural errors in grammar and punctuation that require the reader to occasionally decipher the meaning. Run-on sentences and comma splices are present, such as in the opening sentence where multiple clauses are joined incorrectly. Additionally, there are issues with missing articles, incorrect prepositions, and verb tense inconsistencies, such as 'one side had to walk to the other car park' and 'are enjoy food'. To improve this criterion, the writer must focus on sentence boundaries, accurate punctuation, consistent verb forms, and better control over article usage when describing specific locations.

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

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