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 diagram illustrates the layout of porth harbour in 2000 and how it was look at present.

Overall, the harbour has been undergone significant transformation to old castle and public beach into more diversified to hotel and private beach. Some features are remained unchanged, and some are relocated.

In 2000, porth harbour had a clear division of areas. Along the main road there were two car parks, one was adjacent to the showers and toilets. The marina prrivate yachts was located on the northwest side of the harbour and fishing boats was situated on the southwest. There was a dock near the public beach in the northwast, where passenger ferries enroached. A disued castle, public beach and life boat were located in the southeast.

At present, several changes has occued. A extra pair of showers and toilets were added, fishing boats and marina private yachts swiped there location. The duck was operated mulfi function and public beach remained unchanged. While the disused castle and public beach was completely replaced by the hotel and private beach. In contrast, lifeboats remained constant. On the south side cafe and shops were newly built.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making comparisons between the harbour layout in 2000 and the present day. However, some aspects of the task are handled more successfully than others. You provide a general overview in the second paragraph, mentioning the transformation of the old castle and public beach, as well as relocated features. While key changes such as the swapping of the marina and fishing boats, the addition of the hotel, and new cafes and shops are identified, some descriptions remain slightly under-developed or imprecise. For instance, the reference to the dock being operated with multi-functions lacks clarity regarding the visual evidence provided. Nonetheless, the core information is conveyed and the overall picture of development is established, placing the response securely at the target band.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph-by-paragraph structure that separates the introduction, overview, past layout, and present layout. Information is generally organised in a logical sequence, allowing the reader to follow the spatial comparisons between the two maps. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or somewhat faulty. For instance, transitional phrases and referencing could be smoother, and the phrasing used to connect sentences (such as 'While the disused castle and public beach was completely replaced') creates slight choppy transitions. Paragraphing is used appropriately to segment the response, fulfilling the requirements for the half-band by combining clear overall progression with occasional mechanical referencing.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate to communicate the basic features of the maps, but the range is limited and contains noticeable errors in word choice, collocation, and word formation. Examples of awkward lexical choices include 'how it was look at present', 'marina prrivate yachts', 'swiped there location', 'duck was operated mulfi function', and 'A extra pair'. These errors in spelling, word form, and vocabulary choice mean the lexical control struggles to move beyond a basic level. While common terms like 'car park', 'fishing boats', and 'hotel' are used correctly, attempts at less common vocabulary result in inaccuracies that restrict the score to this band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentence structures. There are basic structural attempts, such as subordinate clauses ('while the disused castle and public beach was completely replaced'), but these are often marred by agreement and article errors. Frequent grammatical inaccuracies include subject-verb agreement issues ('several changes has occued', 'Some features are remained'), incorrect prepositions or verb tenses ('how it was look', 'has undergone significant transformation to old castle'), and missing or incorrect articles ('a extra pair'). Although these errors do not completely obscure the overall meaning, they occur frequently enough to impede smooth reading and prevent the response from achieving a higher band.

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

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