Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)
The given plans illustrates a Porth harbour in 2000 and significant changes in its infrastructure today.
Certain alterations was observed after the renovation in Porth Harbour. North region was slightly transformed and an additional shower and toilets were introduced adjacent to the main road. Marina private yachts were replaced by fishing boats and vice versa. South region depicted a contrasting transformation as cafes and shops were built beside lifeboat in the recently transformed Harbour. Castle in the South region was also dramatically replaced with hotel in the plan today.
Hence, a significant changes were made in the plan designed for Porth Harbour but somehow some features remain unchanged. Car parks, area specified for public beach and dock with passenger ferries kept untouched. Moreover, a pathway specifically designated for hotel entrance was also introduced in the south region.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the main contrast between the two plans, especially the exchange of the marina and fishing-boat areas and the replacement of the disused castle with a hotel. You also note that some features remain unchanged. However, several important changes are omitted or unclear: the additional dock jetty and second berthed boat, the new cafés and shops’ position, and the hotel’s private beach. The claim that an additional shower and toilet block is beside the main road is imprecise; the new facilities are near the marina. The response is also 13 words below the required minimum, limiting the detail available. Develop the overview and report more precise locations and changes to cover the plan more fully.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a recognisable progression: it first describes changes in the north and south, then summarises features that remain. This gives the reader a coherent overall arrangement, and linking expressions such as “Moreover” and “Hence” help connect points. However, the short paragraphs contain several ideas in compressed form, so relationships and locations are not always clear. For example, “North region was slightly transformed” is followed by details that include a major exchange of uses, while “Hence” introduces a conclusion that does not clearly follow from the preceding sentence. Use a clearer overview followed by separate, logically ordered descriptions of the northern and southern areas, and make references such as “this area” explicit.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You use a reasonable range of vocabulary for describing changes, including “replaced,” “adjacent,” “transformation,” and “remain unchanged.” These choices communicate the general comparison, and some less common terms are attempted. At times, however, word choice or collocation is imprecise: “a pathway specifically designated for hotel entrance” is not supported by the plan, which shows a road and a private beach, and “area specified for public beach” sounds unnatural. “Slightly transformed” also understates the changes described. Choose precise map vocabulary and avoid adding interpretations: for example, describe the hotel as replacing the castle and the beach as becoming private. More natural collocations will make the report clearer.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including the contrast in “Marina private yachts were replaced by fishing boats and vice versa” and the concluding sentence beginning “Hence.” The main meaning is generally understandable, but some errors in agreement, articles, and sentence construction remain. For example, “The given plans illustrates” has a plural subject with a singular verb, while “Certain alterations was observed” has the reverse agreement problem. “A significant changes were made” also mismatches the article and plural noun. Review subject–verb agreement and singular/plural forms, and use articles consistently. More accurate control of these basic patterns, alongside your attempts at complex sentences, would make the report smoother.
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