Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The plans illustrates the changes have done in harbour in today and how it looked in 2000.
Overall, it is evident that there are numerous changes have been done with various kinds of facilities. but few things are remain unchanged and some are totally different from before.
In 2000, there were only few facilities for tourists and commuters. A old abandoned castle was there nearby the public beach which was completely desolate. There were only limited restroom facilities and single car parking area which was connected to the main road.
In today, there are different changes have been done. the castle was changed into the hotel and renovated a public and converted into private for the hotel. the new cafes and shops are constructed and interchanged the area of fishing boats to marina private yachts. Now there are two car parking space which is directly connected to the main road.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses the task partially by noting some of the main changes between the two maps, such as the conversion of the castle into a hotel and the addition of cafés and shops. However, the overview is somewhat limited and the selection of features is incomplete, failing to fully report all major developments like the relocation of the marina and fishing boats clearly. Furthermore, some of the descriptions lack precision and the position of certain features is not always clear, keeping the response at this level. To reach a higher standard, the writer should provide a more comprehensive overview of all significant transformations and ensure that key comparative features are thoroughly and accurately reported.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
There is some basic organisation with a four-paragraph structure separating the introduction, overview, and body details, but there is no clear overall progression of information. Cohesive devices are used minimally and repetitively, such as the repetitive use of time markers like 'In 2000' and 'In today' without varied linking structures. Referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when describing spatial shifts like 'the castle was changed into the hotel and renovated a public and converted into private'. To improve, the writer needs to employ a wider and more accurate range of cohesive devices and ensure smoother logical transitions between sentences and paragraphs to establish a clear narrative progression.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to describe the basic changes on the maps, featuring phrases like 'abandoned castle', 'restroom facilities', and 'car parking area'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'changes have done' instead of 'changes have been made', and awkward phrasing like 'renovated a public and converted into private'. These lexical inaccuracies and restricted range reflect an attempt to use basic terms with frequent slips. To achieve a higher band, the student should expand their range of vocabulary, use less common functional terms with greater precision, and pay closer attention to natural word pairings and phrasing in descriptive writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5
The response displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic active forms. Attempts at more complex structures or passive voice often result in frequent errors, such as 'The plans illustrates the changes have done in harbour', missing auxiliary verbs, and incorrect prepositions. Errors in tense consistency, subject-verb agreement, and articles are frequent throughout the text, which can cause difficulty for the reader. To improve, the writer must focus on mastering fundamental grammatical patterns, reducing basic errors, and developing better control over passive voice and complex sentence formations.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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