Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-04
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 diagrams compare the map of the Porth Harbour in 2000 with a recent one.
Overall, in past the Porth was simple with a single dock without cafes and shops but in recent time, there has been new changes in which single dock is converted into double likewise, Showers and toilets.
By 2000, there was an area in the south of Castle diused with a Public beach. In present, that is transformed into a hotel along private beach and now it is connected with road. Moreover, the fishing boats and the marina is replaced by each other. Although previous Harbour contained only a dock and a showers and toilets area but today it has been modernized by adding one more in both places. Similarly, new Cafes and shops have been added in redeveloped Harbour. There are few things that remained same over the period are lifeboat, parking, and the whole surface surrounded by roads.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
The response successfully covers all parts of the task by addressing the main changes shown in the two maps of Porth Harbour. A clear overview is provided, highlighting the general transformation from a simple harbour to a modernized facility with additional amenities and swapped positions for the marina and fishing boats. Key features are adequately reported and compared, such as the conversion of the disused castle into a hotel with a private beach, the duplication of the dock, and the addition of cafés and shops. While the information is generally accurate and well-selected, certain details could be more fully elaborated to reach a higher level of development, yet the overall response satisfies the requirements for a solid performance by presenting a clear and comprehensive comparison.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response exhibits a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to structure the information logically. There is an introductory sentence, an overview, and subsequent body details tracing the developments. However, the progression and logical flow are occasionally disrupted by mechanical or faulty cohesive devices, such as awkward transitional phrases ('in recent time', 'By 2000', 'In present') and repetitive referencing. Paragraphing is also somewhat underdeveloped, as the text is clumped together into a single block following the introduction rather than being broken into logical thematic paragraphs. To improve, the writer needs to use cohesive devices more naturally and organize sentences into distinct paragraphs based on the thematic shifts in the maps.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating specific terms related to maps and harbour features such as 'dock', 'marina', 'fishing boats', and 'lifeboat'. There are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'new changes in which single dock is converted into double', 'Castle diused', and 'surface surrounded by roads', which reflect a limited control over collocations and word formation. Spelling errors also appear, such as 'diused' instead of 'disused'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main ideas clearly, these frequent slips prevent the response from achieving a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like passive voice ('is converted', 'is replaced') and subordinate clauses ('Although previous Harbour contained...'). However, control over grammar is weak, featuring frequent errors in articles ('in past', 'in recent time', 'the Porth', 'a showers and toilets area'), prepositions ('in the south of'), and subject-verb agreement. For example, sentences such as 'There are few things that remained same over the period are lifeboat...' contain structural errors. These frequent grammatical inaccuracies and awkward syntactic patterns cause some difficulty for the reader and reflect a limited range of error-free complex structures.
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