Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-05
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 information about the village harbour how, it look like in 2000 and in present day.
Overall,it is clear that there is a sea change arrived in today plan.The position of marina and fishing boats are exchanged in current plan.
Vividly,in the southen east side the castle was situated which is transformed in hotel in recent year.In current plan the private beach is installed for the hotel.THe position of public beach become constant in b oth plans.In today plan the cafes and shops are installed near the lifeboat.
In the past,there were two car park and only one showers and toilet while it is increased in current plan.Now there are two showers and toilets.The position of road become constant.The same with dock position. The passenger ferries are become same in both plans past and present.The number of dock in past was one where it is two in current plan.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the task by selecting and reporting the main features of the harbour in 2000 and today, noting key changes such as the swapped locations of the marina and fishing boats, and the replacement of the disused castle with a hotel. However, some aspects are under-developed or described with slight imprecision, such as the statement regarding the ferries remaining the same when the plans show passenger ferries present in both years but with layout shifts. The overview is somewhat basic, noting a 'sea change', but it successfully highlights the primary spatial transformations. To reach a higher band, the student should provide a more thorough comparison of the overall layout developments and ensure all reported details are entirely accurate.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement, attempting to group information logically by general changes and specific area comparisons. However, the organization is hindered by poor paragraphing, with sentences grouped into very short, disjointed blocks rather than cohesive thematic paragraphs. Cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or awkwardly used, such as 'Vividly' and 'The same with dock position', which disrupts the logical flow and progression. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it harder for the reader to follow the spatial relationships between the two maps. To improve, the student needs to use clearer structural transitions, organize sentences into well-defined paragraphs, and apply cohesive markers more naturally.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate basic comparisons such as 'transformed', 'installed', and 'relocated'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, but these are often accompanied by inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and word formation, such as 'sea change arrived' and 'The position of road become constant'. Spelling and word-form errors are present, for instance 'southen east' instead of southeastern and 'car park' missing a plural 's'. These errors do not severely impede communication, but they restrict the lexical score. To achieve a higher band, the student should expand their range of vocabulary for describing spatial changes and focus on precise collocations and correct word forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5
The text displays a limited mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar is weak throughout. There are frequent errors in basic grammar, including subject-verb agreement ('The plans illustrates', 'there were two car park'), article usage ('in today plan', 'the private beach'), and awkward prepositional or clause structures ('how, it look like'). Punctuation is also problematic, with missing spaces after commas and periods. While some sentences are understandable, the accumulation of basic structural errors places this criterion firmly at the lower level. To progress, the student must work on fundamental grammatical accuracy, including subject-verb agreement, correct pluralization, article placement, and sentence construction.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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