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)

we can see in this map that harbour in 2000 and now both are almost same but some extra things is improved the system in the new harbour and the key improvement is happened in aminities which we can see makes a huge difference.

In past days there was on place had in harbour to take discussion or having food was the castle but in todays era we have a hotel with extra cafes & shops.And the showers & toilets are expanded into extra number.

Also we can notice that fishing boats and marina private yachts are also interchanged in today.In terms of expansion a new dock is also intoduced aside of old dock.And the old public beach near from the old castle in 2000 is now transformed into a private beach of the hotel.So public over there can access only one public beach today.And every blank spaces are utilized in a manner that makes the harbour more modern.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by identifying key changes between the 2000 map and the current plan, such as the interchange of the fishing boats and marina, the addition of cafes and shops, and the replacement of the disused castle with a hotel. However, some aspects are under-developed or imprecise, such as describing the general layout as 'almost same' rather than highlighting the structural transformations systematically. The overview is somewhat vague, stating that 'some extra things is improved', which lacks the precision expected for a higher band. While the main features are successfully selected and reported, the development of these points remains limited.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response exhibits a coherent overall arrangement and attempts to sequence ideas logically from past to present developments. However, cohesion is frequently faulty or mechanical. The paragraphing is weak, as the entire response is clustered into poorly structured blocks rather than being separated into a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'public over there', which disrupts the natural flow of information. While basic cohesive devices are used, their mechanical nature and the lack of a clear overall progression prevent the text from reaching a higher band.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to convey basic comparisons such as 'interchanged', 'expanded', and 'transformed'. However, there are noticeable errors in word choice, collocation, and word form, such as 'aminities' instead of 'amenities', and awkward phrasing like 'in todays era' and 'extra numbers'. Attempts at less common vocabulary are somewhat inaccurate, and spelling mistakes like 'intoduced' occur. These lexical limitations and errors indicate a restricted range of vocabulary, placing the response at this level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'we can see in this map that harbour in 2000 and now both are almost same...'. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles ('that harbour', 'in new harbour'), incorrect verb forms ('is improved', 'is happened'), and run-on sentences joined poorly with coordinating conjunctions and punctuation. While these errors rarely completely impede communication, they persist throughout the text and demonstrate limited control over complex sentence structures.

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

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