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 given plan illustrates that how a harbour looks back in time in 2000 and what changes are brought in it, today.

There are some significant changes, like paths leading to harbour from main road are more that earlier and more showers and docks are provided now. Castle is transformed into a hotel alond with a private beach.

In 2000, there was only one car park and one place assigned to showers and toilets but now there are two them. Marine private yachts and fishing boats places have switched their places as earlier marine yachts were in north but now fishing boats are there and vice versa. The road which leads to the lifeboat has now extended to the place where there was castle back in 2000 but now there is a beautiful hotel along with a private beach which was earlier a public beach. Some cafes and shops are also opened on the west of the lifeboat area. However, the dock area has increased now which was small bach in 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by identifying the main features and making relevant comparisons between the two maps of Porth Harbour. You have noted key transformations, such as the relocation of the marina and fishing boats, the addition of the hotel, and the expansion of the dock. However, some ideas remain under-developed or lack precision. For instance, stating that 'paths leading to harbour from main road are more that earlier' is a slight misinterpretation of the visual data, as the road layout itself remains largely similar while specific amenities like cafes, shops, and a second car park have been added. To reach a higher level, ensure that all reported details strictly reflect the visual source and that every major feature is fully extended and supported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The writing presents an overall coherent arrangement, and you have attempted to organise the details by contrasting the past and present layouts using opening phrases such as 'In 2000' and 'now'. However, the progression between sentences can feel disjointed due to faulty or mechanical cohesive devices. For example, sentences are sometimes crammed with multiple ideas, as seen in 'The road which leads to the lifeboat has now extended to the place where there was castle back in 2000 but now there is a beautiful hotel along with a private beach which was earlier a public beach.' Paragraphing is also underdeveloped, with most of the body text lumped together. To improve, structure your response into distinct paragraphs with a clear overview, and use referencing more carefully to guide the reader smoothly through the spatial changes.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary to complete the task, successfully attempting less common items related to map descriptions, such as 'relocated', 'transformed', and 'amenities'. However, there are notable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and word form that affect precision, such as writing 'Marine private yachts' instead of 'Marina for private yachts' and 'small bach' instead of 'small batch' or 'small basin'. Additionally, stylistic lapses like describing the hotel as 'beautiful' introduce subjective tone inappropriate for an academic report. To achieve a higher band, focus on precise terminology for geographical and structural features, and ensure correct word forms and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an attempt to handle comparative and relative structures. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that persist throughout the text. Noticeable issues include awkward phrasing in introductory clauses ('The given plan illustrates that how a harbour looks back in time'), missing articles and pluralisation errors ('Marine private yachts and fishing boats places have switched their places'), and run-on sentences with incorrect punctuation. While these errors rarely impede overall communication, they restrict the grammar score. To progress, work on mastering complex sentence patterns, ensuring subject-verb agreement, and using articles correctly.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.