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 two plans illustrate Porth Harbour's landscape and structure dating back to the year 2000 and how it stands today.

Overall, it can be seen that Porth Harbour had more public beaches in the year 2000 than it does now, with an addition of more facilities like a hotel, showers, toilets, cafes and shops. In addition, the harbour has made minor modifications to the previous plan such as the Marina has been replaced with an area reserved for fishing boats and more docks have been established. In general the routes remained same from the year 2000 to present day, however one additional route is stretched towards the hotel in the south-east.

The Porth Harbour had fewer docks in the year 2000 as compared to the current plan. It had merely 1 dock in the year 2000 and has now been doubled. On the right side of the docks is the public beach which remains unchanged over the years. However, the beach in the south used to be a beach for public use but has converted to a private space for the hotel use in the latest plan, with the hotel adjacent to it on the right.

In the west zone, it can be observed that 1 more shower and toilet facility has been installed for the public use in the present plan. A marina for private yachts has moved in the south and fishing boats have taken up that space in the north today. Moreover, the main road in the extreme west stayed in the same place in both the previous and current development plans along with a route stretching towards the lifeboat and an extra route has been created for the hotel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You identify the main transformation clearly: the southern public beach becomes private for the hotel, the marina and fishing-boat areas switch locations, and the northern beach remains. The overview also notes new facilities and changes to the dock, so the response addresses the task and selects relevant features. However, some details are inaccurate or too general. The maps show an additional jetty and a second boat, rather than the number of docks being doubled; the marina is relocated, not replaced by fishing boats overall. The claim that there were more public beaches in 2000 is also not supported: the north-eastern public beach remains, while the southern beach changes status. More precise reporting of the added cafés and shops and the two sets of showers and toilets would strengthen the account.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by paragraphs on the dock and beaches, then western facilities and roads. This makes the main comparisons easy to locate. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “However,” and “Moreover” help connect points, but some transitions feel mechanical, and the overview repeats ideas that are developed later. References such as “that space” are not fully clear, while “the previous and current development plans” is unnecessarily wordy. Grouping changes by location or by type, and using clearer references—for example, naming the northern and southern water areas—would create smoother progression and more precise cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of map vocabulary, including “adjacent,” “extreme west,” “private space,” and “routes stretching towards,” and the meaning is generally clear. There is also some flexibility in describing change through phrases such as “has moved” and “remains unchanged.” However, several choices are imprecise or awkward for this task: “landscape and structure” is broad, “more docks have been established” mislabels the added jetty, and “the hotel use” is an unnatural collocation. “Minor modifications” also understates substantial changes such as the relocation of the marina and fishing boats. More exact terms for map features and more natural collocations would build on the adequate range already shown.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including contrast clauses with “However” and a relative clause in “which remains unchanged over the years.” Most sentences communicate the intended comparisons, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “the Marina has been replaced with an area” does not accurately express the intended relocation, and the construction “the beach … has converted to a private space” needs a passive form (“has been converted”). There are also missing articles or auxiliaries in “routes remained same” and “has now been doubled,” and the long final sentence joins several ideas without clear punctuation. Check tense consistency when comparing past and present, and proofread articles and passive constructions.

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.