Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-03
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)
Architectural plans of Porth Harbour in the year 2000 and improved plan of today are given respectively.The main features of plans are Main road, Car park, Marina, Lifeboat, Dock, Public beach and Passenger ferries are the common features developed in both the illustrated plans.
Overall, it is clear that significant design of plan today have dramatic changes than design in 2000. The structural raw space of both the architecture is quite similar but the more features have been developed in that same space by today.
In further analysis, castle which was disused in 2000 has been converted into the Hotel at present which have the relevant private beach nearby. Besides the Lifeboat there is Cafes and Shops have been newly developed at present, where nothing was present there in 2000.
Moreover, one more shower and toilet area has been developed by today, while already one present before in the year 2000. Also, the two connectors from main road leads to car park, which are now parallely developed, unlike in 2000 which partially connected by the another road leads to Lifeboat.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the task by outlining the main features of Porth Harbour in 2000 and comparing them with current changes. An overview is attempted, noting the significant transformation of the site. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven and lacks full extension. For instance, the mention that several features are 'common' is a bit vague, and certain spatial relationships or changes—such as the swapping of the marina and fishing boats—are not clearly or fully articulated. Furthermore, some reported details are slightly imprecise, reflecting a tendency to rely on general statements rather than precise, well-supported comparisons. To reach a higher level, the response should provide a more thorough and precise selection of key changes, ensuring all major spatial alterations are fully described and contrasted.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a recognisable introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding discussion, attempting to guide the reader through the comparison. However, cohesion is at times faulty and mechanical. Transitional phrases such as 'In further analysis' and 'Moreover' are used somewhat awkwardly, and referencing between sentences can be unclear, such as the pronoun use in 'which have the relevant private beach'. Paragraphing is present, but the internal logical progression within paragraphs stumbles slightly due to awkward phrasing and disjointed sentence connections. To improve cohesion, the writer needs to employ a wider range of cohesive devices more naturally and ensure that ideas flow logically from one sentence to the next without abrupt shifts in focus.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, demonstrating an attempt to discuss spatial changes and new facilities such as the 'hotel', 'cafes and shops', and 'private beach'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are noticeable errors in word choice, word form, and collocation, such as 'improved plan of today', 'structural raw space', and 'parallely developed'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they reveal a lack of precision and awkward lexical control. The writer attempts less common vocabulary, but inaccurate collocations and awkward phrasing prevent the response from achieving a higher band. To elevate the lexical score, the student should focus on using more natural collocations for describing maps and ensuring accurate word forms and spelling.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting relative clauses and passive structures, as seen in 'castle which was disused in 2000 has been converted'. However, control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent, with frequent errors appearing in articles, prepositions, subject-verb agreement, and clause structures. Examples include missing articles ('converted into the Hotel'), incorrect pluralisation and verb agreement ('the main features of plans are...'), and awkward modifiers ('unlike in 2000 which partially connected by the another road'). Although these errors rarely obscure the overall meaning completely, they occur regularly and limit the variety of error-free sentences. To achieve a higher score, the writer must improve the accuracy of complex sentence constructions and pay closer attention to basic grammatical rules such as articles and prepositional use.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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