Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)
This chart will be show a harbour in 2000 and how its looks today in 2026. The chart will summarise the information by reporting the main feature to make a comparison where relevant.
The Porth Harbour can see in 2000 to old statucther. The chart will be the west sid in main road to ientrence the Porth Harbour. The east sid on the river and fishies. The north sid different places to Shower and towels car parking Manina private yachts and the public beach and the passenger ferries and the other area are the water the south sid the road car park Fishing boats Lifeboat to castle disused and the Public beach. The overall area in water cowed.
The Porth Harbour can see in today new statcture. The chart will be change the porth harbour. The chart will west sid the main road. The north sid will be the Showers and towel and car park fishing boats public beach. The south sid the again shower and towel and car park Manina private yachts cafe and shops life bot Residence Hotel and private beach.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response addresses the task only minimally. The student attempts to describe the changes to Porth Harbour between 2000 and today, but the information provided is extremely fragmented and lacks a clear, coherent overview or structured comparison of the main features. Significant details from the maps, such as the relocation of the marina and fishing boats or the addition of the hotel, are mentioned in a very disjointed way using lists of isolated labels rather than fully reported information. To reach a higher band, the writer needs to select key features systematically, provide a clear overall summary, and develop comparisons fully across both time periods.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5
Information and ideas are not arranged in a truly coherent way. Although the text is divided into paragraphs, the internal progression of ideas is weak, and sentences consist largely of disconnected noun phrases and raw labels extracted directly from the prompt rather than logically connected statements. Referencing is unclear, and cohesive devices are virtually absent, resulting in a series of abrupt, choppy descriptions that impede the overall flow. Improving Coherence and Cohesion requires grouping related spatial features logically, employing effective referencing, and using clear transition signals to guide the reader through the spatial and temporal changes.
Lexical Resource: Band 4.5
Vocabulary is very basic, repetitive, and heavily reliant on copying words directly from the visual prompt (such as 'Marina', 'Fishing boats', 'Public beach', and 'Car park'). There are numerous incorrect word forms and awkward collocations, such as 'stacther' instead of structure, 'sid' instead of side, and 'fishies' instead of fishing boats. These lexical inadequacies and spelling errors frequently strain the reader's understanding. To achieve a higher score, the student must expand their vocabulary range beyond direct copying, use accurate word forms and spelling, and incorporate less common lexical items appropriate for describing maps and spatial transformations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0
The grammatical range is very limited, consisting mostly of fragmented, simple clauses and incomplete sentences rather than proper structural patterns. There are frequent and severe errors in basic grammar, including verb tense errors ('This chart will be show'), missing or incorrect prepositions, incorrect subject-verb agreement, and faulty sentence construction. These persistent errors distort the intended meaning and make the text difficult to parse. Progressing to a higher band requires mastering basic sentence structures, applying correct verb tenses consistently, and reducing the frequency of foundational grammatical errors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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