Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-11

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 maps compare the changes in the layout of Porth Harbour in 2000 and today.

Overall, showers and toilets were added in the north east and south east side and te road to car park is form the main road in the west. Fishing boats and Private yachts section has been swapped and the abundant castle is converted to a hotel with a private beach in the south east of the map.

The north east side has experineced small cahnge with the extension of dock space so that two boats can now anchor compared to only one in 2000. However, the north west and south west side saw some siginificant changes in thier layout. Starting with the exchange of private yachts space near the dock with the large area of fishing boats stand. After that, showers and toilets were added in the south along the car park.

Finally, the unused castle was converted into a hotel with its private beach in the south east of the map.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important changes, including the exchange of the fishing-boat and yacht areas, the extra berth at the dock, and the replacement of the disused castle by a hotel with a private beach. These are relevant features and give the response a clear overall focus. However, the overview contains inaccuracies: showers and toilets were added in the south-west, not the north-east and south-east, and the road was not newly formed from the main road. Some changes are also under-reported, particularly the cafés and shops beside the lifeboat station and the continued public beach in the north-east. More precise coverage of these features would make the summary more complete and reliable.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing changes around the harbour and the south-eastern area. Sequencing phrases such as “Overall,” “Starting with,” and “Finally” help guide the reader. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. For example, “After that” does not clearly show a chronological sequence on a map, and “the north west and south west side” is followed by changes that are not consistently located in those areas. The overview also combines several points in one sentence, making the relationships between them harder to follow. Grouping changes by location and using clearer comparisons would improve progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant map vocabulary, including “layout,” “extension,” “dock space,” “converted,” and “private beach,” and the main changes can generally be understood. There are, however, several spelling errors, such as “experineced,” “cahnge,” “siginificant,” and “thier,” which reduce accuracy. Some word choices and collocations are also imprecise: “abundant castle” does not convey that the castle was disused, while “fishing boats stand” is not a natural way to describe their area. “Anchor” is understandable but “berth” or “be moored” is more precise for boats at a dock. Aim for accurate spelling and natural phrases for describing locations and facilities.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including a comparison with “compared to only one in 2000” and a clause beginning “so that.” Most of the information remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. In the overview, “showers and toilets were added in the north east and south east side” needs a more accurate prepositional structure, such as “in the north-west and south-west.” The phrase “the road to car park is form the main road” has errors in article use and verb form, and “the large area of fishing boats stand” lacks a clear grammatical structure. Check articles, verb forms, and sentence construction, especially when describing locations and changes.

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