Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-13

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 6.5)

The maps depict the transformation of the Port Harbour in 2000 and at present time.

Overall, the port have undergone substantial redevelopment over the period. New facilities have been added and existing areas transformed and were replaced such as cafes,shops and hotels.

In 2000, an area was reserved for private yachts in the north-west has now been converted into fishing boats and the fishing boats in the south-west were replaced with private yachts. . In addition, a castle in the south-east has been transformed into a hotel. Meanwhile, showers and toilets in the west side remained the same and few showers and toilets have been constructed in the south-west.

Probing further, in the south area of the harbour, a new hotel has been built in front of a private beach and some cafes and shops have also added near the main roadand lifeboat. Eventually, the area for docking has been extended in the north. Finally, the public beach and the place for passenger ferries remained relatively untouched.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You identify the main changes and provide a clear overview that the harbour was substantially redeveloped, including new facilities and replacement of existing uses. The key relocations are accurately reported: the marina and fishing-boat areas switch positions, the disused castle becomes a hotel, and a private beach is created. You also note the added showers and toilets and the changes to the dock. This gives the response a relevant, well-supported account of the plans. Some details are over-generalised or imprecise: for example, the northern showers and toilets are described as having “remained the same,” although the facilities are rearranged, and the passenger-ferry area is said to be untouched despite changes to the dock and jetties. More precise comparisons would strengthen the coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing specific changes. The sequence from the marina and fishing boats to the southern facilities and northern dock is generally easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “In addition,” and “Finally” help signal progression. However, some transitions feel mechanical, particularly the repeated “Meanwhile,” “Probing further,” and “Eventually,” and the final paragraph groups several unrelated features together. The reference in “the area for docking” is also vague. To make the organisation more consistently effective, group changes by location or by type, and use clearer links between each comparison rather than relying on a series of signposting phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing map changes, including “transformation,” “redevelopment,” “converted,” “replaced,” and “remained relatively untouched.” These choices communicate the main developments, and some are suitably formal for an IELTS report. However, several expressions are imprecise or awkward, such as “the Port Harbour,” “in front of a private beach,” and “the area for docking has been extended.” “Port” and “harbour” are also redundant together, while “docking” does not clearly describe the additional jetty and berths. There are minor presentation issues, including “cafes,shops” and “roadand.” Aim for more exact map vocabulary, such as “adjacent to,” “berthing area,” and “additional jetty,” and check spacing and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including a complex overview sentence and clauses introduced by “while” and “which,” but grammatical control is uneven. For example, “the port have undergone” has subject–verb disagreement, and “an area … in the north-west has now been converted” shifts awkwardly between past and present without a clear grammatical structure. The sentence beginning “In the south area” also has a missing auxiliary in “some cafes and shops have also added,” and “main roadand lifeboat” contains a punctuation/spacing problem. There is also an extra full stop after “private yachts.” These errors do not prevent understanding, but they limit accuracy. Practise consistent tense choices and check agreement, auxiliaries, articles, and sentence boundaries.

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