Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The given maps highlights the major transition in Porth Harbour after 26 year. In 2000, there is only one dock at the east porth harbour, where passengers ferries are available. There is only showers & toilet, Fishing boats, marina (private yachts) area and two parking areas. There is also life boat facility available at the south of porth harbour nearly disused castle. In South and north, there is also beaches for public.

Now today, there is a major transformation, Fishing boats, Marina areas swapped there places, and addition in shoers & toilets area along with the south car parking area. Now there is two dock areas side by side. There is the major transformation in the south port harbour. Now there is an area of cafes and shpos along with the lifeboat area. The disused castle is now transformed in a furnished hotel and the beach besides the hotel is now a private beach for the hotel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important changes, including the relocation of the fishing boats and marina, the addition of cafés and shops, and the conversion of the disused castle into a hotel with a private beach. These details are relevant and mostly match the maps. However, the response does not give a clear overall summary of the main pattern of redevelopment, and some points are incomplete or imprecise: for example, the dock has an additional jetty and two boats, rather than simply “two dock areas,” and the lifeboat is not described as being near the castle. The north-eastern public beach also remains, but the opening only generally mentions beaches. A clearer overview and more precise comparisons of the harbour’s facilities would make the account more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows a broadly sensible time sequence, first describing 2000 and then the present, so the reader can understand the basic comparison. However, the organisation is mostly a list of features, with limited grouping by location or type of change. Repeated openings such as “There is” and “Now there is” make the progression mechanical, while links between details are sometimes unclear. For instance, “There is also life boat facility available at the south of porth harbour nearly disused castle” combines two locations without clearly explaining their relationship. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and the two map stages, and connect related changes with phrases such as “in contrast” or “in the southern area” to improve flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant map vocabulary, including “marina,” “fishing boats,” “lifeboat,” “disused castle,” and “private beach,” which helps communicate the main changes. However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “major transition,” “two dock areas,” and “furnished hotel.” Spelling errors—including “shoers,” “shpos,” and “there places”—also reduce clarity and control. Aim for precise terms that describe what the map shows: for example, the dock has an additional jetty, and the castle site is redeveloped as a hotel. Vary repeated general words such as “area” and “major transformation” with more specific language about facilities and land use.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response communicates its basic meaning through mostly simple sentences, with a few attempts to combine ideas, such as “The disused castle is now transformed … and the beach … is now a private beach.” However, grammatical control is inconsistent. The opening has subject–verb disagreement (“maps highlights”), and “after 26 year” has an incorrect singular form. There are also problems with articles, plurals, and sentence construction, as in “there is only one dock … where passengers ferries are available” and “there is also beaches.” Tense and phrasing are sometimes awkward in “is now transformed.” Practise accurate present and past descriptions, agreement, and article use, then build more varied sentences while checking each clause.

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