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 blueprints illustrate the renovation of Porth harbour since year 2000 to now. Overall, major changes include the addition of dock and the conversion of abandoned castle into a luxury hotel for incoming guests.

In the western side of the harbour, the places of Marina (private yachts) and fishing boat, are interchanged after the redevelopment. Additionally, the free space is being utilized by showers and toilets area. At northern area of harbour, a new dock has been built to accommodate new ships.

Alongside road, new cafes and shops are being introduced for the incoming guests to provide entertainment and refreshments. Additionally, the disused castle is now being rebuilt into a hotel for tourist attraction. Furthermore, a public beach is now dedicated to the hotel users and is known as private beach. Whereas, the car park area and the lifeboat area of the harbour remained same as it was in year 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You identify the main transformation clearly: the marina and fishing-boat areas switch places, the disused castle becomes a hotel, and the southern beach becomes private. These are relevant, well-selected features, and the opening overview gives the reader a useful sense of the redevelopment. The response also mentions new cafés and shops and changes around the dock. However, some details are over-generalised or inaccurate: the dock was not newly built, but gained an additional jetty and a second berthed boat. The statement that the car park and lifeboat areas “remained same” overlooks the added facilities and changes nearby. More precise comparisons of the harbour’s facilities would make the account more fully supported and balanced.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall shape: an introduction and overview are followed by descriptions of changes in different parts of the harbour. This gives the reader a generally logical progression, and linking expressions such as “Additionally” and “Furthermore” help connect points. To make the organisation more effective, group related changes more deliberately—for example, describe the northern dock and fishing-boat area together, then the southern marina, road-side facilities and hotel beach. “Additionally” is repeated, while “Whereas” introduces a contrast without a complete contrasting clause, making the final sentence less smooth. Clearer referencing and more varied, accurately used transitions would strengthen cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of map-related vocabulary, including “conversion,” “interchanged,” “accommodate,” and “dedicated,” and the main changes are generally understandable. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “incoming guests.” However, some choices are imprecise or unnatural: “addition of dock” does not accurately describe the extra jetty, and “the places of Marina … and fishing boat, are interchanged” is awkward and imprecise. “Luxury hotel” and “tourist attraction” add claims not shown by the maps. Aim for precise, neutral terms such as “relocated,” “additional jetty,” and “hotel guests,” and check singular/plural forms in labels such as “fishing boats.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex structures, including “Overall, major changes include…” and the sentence beginning “Whereas…”. Most meanings remain clear, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “since year 2000 to now” has an incorrect time construction, and “the places of Marina … and fishing boat, are interchanged” has problems with articles, number and sentence structure. “The car park area and the lifeboat area … remained same” also needs an article before “same.” The final “Whereas” clause is not a complete sentence in this context. Practise accurate articles, plurals and tense choices, and make sure contrast clauses are joined to a complete main clause.

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