Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-12

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 plans illustrate a modification in harbour in 2000 and how it modified now.

Overall Porth Harbour upgraded now as compare to the illustrate of 2000. To begin with the addition of more rest rooms and car park near the south side of the Harbour. Marina (private yachts) and fishing boats swapped their actual location and there is a slight alteration in their location. Now the Marina is situated in south side and fishing boats are in northside. In addition, public beach in south side has been upgraded into a privtae beach for the hotel. The disused castle has been replaced with the hotel now. More cafes and shops have been located near the lifeboat.

In 2000, there was only single dock area for pessenger ferries but now passenger ferries can use two dock areas.

There is no change in the public beach, it is situated at the same location as it used to be in the 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important changes, including the relocation of the marina and fishing boats, the replacement of the disused castle by a hotel, and the conversion of the southern public beach into a private hotel beach. You also note that the north-eastern public beach remains unchanged. These details address the task, but some are unclear or inaccurate: the southern beach is described as being “upgraded,” which adds an unsupported judgement, and the dock change is not that passenger ferries can use two dock areas; rather, the dock has an additional jetty and two boats are shown. The overview mentions added facilities but does not clearly summarise the harbour’s main pattern of redevelopment. Select the key changes precisely and distinguish additions from relocations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic overall structure: an opening, a summary of changes, and a final comparison about the public beach. Linking phrases such as “Overall,” “In addition,” and “In 2000” help signal relationships between points. However, the progression is not consistently clear. The overview and detail are mixed together, and the sentence about “only single dock area” follows the beach changes without a clear connection. Some references, such as “their actual location,” are difficult to interpret. Organise the response into a clear introduction, an overview of the main changes, and grouped details—for example, changes to the harbour facilities followed by changes to the southern shore. Use linking words to show comparisons rather than simply adding another fact.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant map vocabulary, including “Marina (private yachts),” “fishing boats,” “disused castle,” and “lifeboat,” so the reader can identify the features being compared. There is also some attempt to describe change with “replaced” and “situated.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “modification in harbour,” “upgraded into a private beach,” and “swapped their actual location.” Spelling errors in “privtae” and “pessenger” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise, neutral map language and check spelling. Phrases such as “was converted into,” “changed places,” and “is located to the south” would express the changes more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex forms, including “Marina … and fishing boats swapped their actual location” and “There is no change in the public beach.” Most of the intended comparisons can be understood, but grammatical errors recur. For example, “a modification in harbour” is missing an article, “as compare to” has an incorrect verb form, and “in south side” needs an article and a more accurate preposition. Tense is also inconsistent: the maps show a change between 2000 and the present, but “how it modified now” is not a correct construction. Use past forms for the earlier plan and present forms for today, and practise accurate comparative patterns such as “whereas” and “has been replaced by.”

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.