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 depicts the changes in the maps of Porth Harbour from 2000 to date.

Overall, Porth Harbour underwent significant changes over the period with noticeable developments being the construction of cafes and shops. In addition, the dock, public beach, passenger ferries, lifeboats and car park remained largely unchanges while, the unused castle was replaced by a running hotel.

Previously, the north-west of harbour consisting of fishing boats has swutched places with the private yachts area in the new map and vice versa. Addition of a new showers and toilet area over the second car park on the south-west region is also noticeable. There are now two docks in the new development with the public beach. Moreover, the lifeboat area in the southern region is also expanded with the construction of shops. Lastly, the useless castle area to the south-east of harbour is now replaced with an active hotel with its own infrastructure and a personalized beach for the hotel residants.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main overall transformation and several important changes: the marina and fishing-boat areas switch locations, cafés and shops are added, and the disused castle becomes a hotel with a private beach. These points are relevant and show a clear understanding of the plans. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the dock is not described as “two docks”; rather, it gains an additional jetty and has two boats berthed. The public beach remains in the north-east, while the beach beside the hotel becomes private. The overview also says several features remained unchanged, although the car parks and facilities are altered. More precise coverage of these changes, alongside the strong overview already present, would make the report more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and a paragraph describing specific changes. This gives the reader a basic progression from general changes to details. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Moreover” and “Lastly” help signal the sequence, but some connections are mechanical, and the final paragraph reads more like a list than a clearly grouped comparison. The reference in “There are now two docks in the new development with the public beach” is also unclear, making it difficult to understand which features are being compared. Grouping changes by location or by type—for example, harbour facilities first and the southern shore second—and using clearer references would improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant map vocabulary, including “north-west,” “south-east,” “replaced,” “construction” and “private beach,” which helps communicate the main changes. However, several word-choice and spelling problems reduce precision: “swutched places” is misspelled, “running hotel” is not a natural description, and “personalized beach” does not accurately express that the beach is private for hotel guests. “Useless castle” is also an unsuitable evaluative phrase for a disused building. Some expressions, such as “new development” and “area,” are vague or repetitive. More accurate collocations such as “the hotel was built,” “the beach became private,” and “the facilities were relocated” would make the description clearer and more appropriately formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including the overview sentence beginning “Overall” and the clause “with the construction of shops.” Meaning is generally understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. The opening should be “The given plans depict,” because the plural subject requires a plural verb. In “a new showers and toilet area,” the article and number do not agree; a clearer form is “a new shower and toilet block.” The phrase “while, the unused castle” has incorrect punctuation, and “the north-west of harbour” is missing an article. There is also inconsistent control of sentence structure in the longer final paragraph. Check agreement, articles and punctuation, and use a wider range of accurately controlled sentence patterns.

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