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 pictures below illustrate the changes in a harbour between 2000 and now.

Overall, a traditional harbour has been changed to a modern and some crucial changes have been made to it.

To begin with the northern side of the map, in 2000, there were two docks and a boarding platform where ships, boats and passenger ferries were parking but now its has been expanded to three docks and two platforms through which passengers can boar to their ferries and also goods can be manages through it. Additionally, there was a marina at the west-north corner of the sea where prive yachts were parked but it has replaced with fishing boats and both are relocated to each other places.

Turning to the southern side of the map, cafes and shops are constructed there along with the life boat and also some extra showers and toilets are made north side of the cark park on west-south of the map. Moreover, in 2000 there was a castle at south-east of the harbour but now that has changed into a hotel and is connected by a road expanded from the older road. In contrast, the beach which was there with the castle in 2000 is now for the hotel residents only.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main transformation from a traditional harbour to a more developed one, and cover several important changes: the marina and fishing boats exchange locations, a hotel replaces the castle, and the southern beach becomes private. These details support a relevant overview and show that you understand the broad comparison. However, some descriptions are inaccurate or unclear. The northern entrance had a dock, not “two docks” in 2000, and today it has an additional jetty and two berthed boats; the claim that it has “three docks and two platforms” is not supported. The overview also calls the changes “crucial” without summarising the main pattern of development. More precise coverage of the new facilities and the unchanged north-eastern public beach would make the account more complete and better supported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a brief overview, and two body paragraphs organised by the northern and southern parts of the harbour. Phrases such as “To begin with” and “Turning to the southern side” help signal progression, and the comparison between 2000 and today is generally easy to follow. Some links, however, are imprecise: “both are relocated to each other places” makes the exchange difficult to interpret, while “there” in “cafes and shops are constructed there” has an unclear reference. The northern paragraph also combines the dock, marina and ferry changes in a way that obscures their exact locations. Use clearer location-based sequencing and explicit references to each feature to make the progression more consistently controlled.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant map vocabulary, including “harbour,” “marina,” “passenger ferries,” “castle,” and “private beach,” and you attempt more specific terms such as “boarding platform.” This gives the response an appropriate subject focus. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “ships … were parking,” “goods can be manages,” and “expanded to three docks.” There are also spelling errors in “prive,” “boar,” and “cark park,” which reduce precision. Aim for standard map-description phrases such as “boats were berthed,” “the dock was extended,” and “a car park.” More accurate vocabulary for structures and changes would help you describe the plan without ambiguity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a contrast with “but now” and a relative clause in “through which passengers can…”. The past-to-present comparison is also generally maintained. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly in verb forms and sentence construction: “it has replaced with fishing boats” needs a passive form, and “goods can be manages” has an incorrect verb form. There are also problems with agreement and articles, as in “its has been expanded,” and with prepositions in phrases such as “at south-east of the harbour.” These errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the broad changes, but they make several details less clear. Practise accurate passive constructions and check each sentence’s subject, verb and article use.

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