Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-06

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 6.5)

The maps compare the changes that took place in Porth Harbour during 2000 with its present-day-arrangements.

At first glance, in 2000, there was a main road on the western side of the harbour. Two car parks were there which were linked with the main road. The Marina and fishing boats were located parallel to each other. Moreover, the passenger ferries occupied the central area of the river. There were two public beaches one was on the northern side and the other was towards the south. A castle can be seen on the south-eastern side.

Turning to the changes that have taken place, although the showers and toilets have been built in between the car parks, while car parks remain at the same place. Nextly, The Marina and fishing boats have been interchanged with each other. A castle has been replaced with the hotel. The cafes and shops have been constructed near the life boat. However, the main road and passanger ferries and the public beach which was on the north-eastern side remains unchanged. Further, the public beach in the southern part has been converted into private beach.

Overall, the Porth Harbour underwent several significant changes, developed with many new facilities such as hotel, showers and toilets. In contrast, passenger ferries and lifeboat remained unchanged. Despite these changes, the Marina and fishing boats switched their locations.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task and successfully highlights the main features and changes between the two maps, such as the relocation of the marina and fishing boats, the addition of the hotel, and the conversion of the southern beach. An overview is present at the end of the text, capturing the general trends. However, some details are slightly inaccurate or under-developed—for instance, describing passenger ferries as occupying the 'central area of the river' when they are at the harbour entrance, and missing a few minor features. To reach a higher band, the response would need a more fully extended and precise overview with fewer minor generalisation errors regarding spatial locations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement and is divided into appropriate paragraphs, moving from an introduction to a description of the past, then the changes, and finally an overview. Logical progression is generally maintained using sequencing phrases like 'At first glance' and 'Turning to the changes'. However, cohesion can feel somewhat mechanical and faulty in places, such as the awkward transition 'although the showers and toilets have been built in between the car parks, while car parks remain at the same place'. Referencing is mostly clear, but paragraph transitions could be smoother and more sophisticated to secure a higher band.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully attempting less common items and specific terminology related to maps, such as 'relocated', 'interchanged', and 'constructed'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice, spelling, and phrasing, such as 'present-day-arrangements', 'passanger', and 'life boat'. Additionally, some expressions lack precision or natural collocation. To achieve a higher band, a wider range of sophisticated vocabulary needs to be used with greater flexibility and complete accuracy in spelling and word formation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and introductory dependent clauses successfully, such as 'Two car parks were there which were linked with the main road.' There are some grammar and punctuation errors present, such as comma splices, article misuse ('a hotel'), and awkward subordinate clauses ('although the showers and toilets have been built... while car parks remain...'). These errors occasionally disrupt the flow but rarely impede communication. To move up to a higher band, the response would require a wider variety of error-free complex structures and tighter control over punctuation and articles.

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

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