Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-10

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 5.0)

The maps illutraste the comparison of a harbour between 2000 and today.

Overall, as ompared to the map in 2000 some places have been redesigned while few has been renamed in todays map of a porth harbour. Furthermore, one single place has been newly contsructed in a new map.

To begin with, in 2000, there were 'showers and tolets' and car parks along with the main road. Between those two car parks, another 'showers and toilet' has been built in todays map. As compare to previous map, the dock has been divided into two, so that two boats can be parked there. The Marine(private yachts) and fishing boats has been renamed with Fishing b

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the maps as a comparison and mention several relevant changes, including the added facilities near the car parks and the altered dock. However, the response addresses the task only minimally: it ends mid-sentence at “Fishing b” and omits major changes such as the marina and fishing boats switching locations, the castle becoming a hotel, and the southern beach becoming private. The overview is also unclear and includes the unsupported claim that only one place was newly constructed. The response is 114 words, below the required 150, which leaves too little space to summarise the main features. To improve, complete the comparison and give a clear overview of the most significant changes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening, an overview beginning “Overall,” and a paragraph starting “To begin with.” The time reference from 2000 to today also gives the reader a general frame. However, progression is limited because the response stops abruptly at “Fishing b,” and the changes are not grouped into a clear, complete account. Linking phrases such as “Furthermore” and “As compare to previous map” are used, but the latter is awkward and the relationships between details are not always clear. Develop a complete sequence—for example, describe changes to the harbour facilities, then the southern area—and use accurate, simple transitions to connect comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant map vocabulary, including “harbour,” “main road,” “car parks,” “dock,” and “private yachts,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several spelling or word-choice errors make the description less clear: “illutraste,” “contsructed,” “tolets,” and “Marine” are inaccurate, while “parked” is not the natural verb for boats at a dock. The phrase “one single place” is also imprecise for describing map changes. Build a more accurate set of terms such as “relocated,” “replaced by,” “expanded,” and “berth,” and check spelling carefully. These choices would help you report the changes more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts a few longer structures, such as “Overall, as compared to the map in 2000…” and “so that two boats can be parked there,” but control is inconsistent. Errors in agreement and sentence construction include “some places have been redesigned while few has been renamed” and “The Marine … and fishing boats has been renamed.” The comparison “As compare to previous map” is also grammatically faulty, and the final sentence is incomplete. Most sentences rely on basic patterns, so the range remains limited. Practise accurate comparison forms (“Compared with the earlier map…”) and subject–verb agreement, and make sure each sentence is complete before moving on.

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

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