Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-14

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 map compares the changes occured to Porth Harbour from 2000 and how it looks today.

Overall, the Porth Harour undergoes considerable changes over the time period. The main changes recoreded are the construction of hotel, cafes snd shops and an additional dock.

Looking at the details, there were no reconstuction reported at the road, showers and toilets and car park at the northern side ;however, at the southern east corner another shower and toilet area is constructed right after the car park. The area where fishing boats are kept and Marina are replaced with other, now Marina is in place of fishing boat area. On the road some new cafes and shops are opened now the beached which used to be public at the southerneast corner is now a private property of hotel which is built in place of an abondaned castle another major change is the making of another dock right next to existing dock.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important changes, including the hotel replacing the disused castle, the southern beach becoming private, the addition of cafés and shops, and the exchange of the marina and fishing-boat areas. These details are relevant and support a general overview of substantial redevelopment. However, some features are unclear or inaccurately described: the dock is not a new dock, but an existing dock with an additional jetty and two boats; and the added showers and toilets are in the south-west, beside the marina, rather than “right after” the southern car park. The overview also omits the relocation of the fishing boats to the northern basin. Covering these changes more precisely and distinguishing additions from relocations would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph of details. Phrases such as “Overall” and “Looking at the details” help signal this organisation. However, the detailed paragraph combines many changes in one long sequence, so relationships between locations and developments are sometimes difficult to follow. The semicolon in “northern side ;however” is awkwardly punctuated, and “On the road some new cafes and shops are opened now the beached…” runs several ideas together without clear boundaries. Use separate sentences or group details by area—for example, northern harbour changes first, then southern developments—and use clear linking phrases to show contrast and location.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “harbour,” “Marina,” “private,” “constructed,” and “replaced,” which allows the reader to understand the main topic. However, the range is limited and several spelling and word-choice errors reduce clarity, such as “Harour,” “recoreded,” “reconstuction,” “abondaned,” and “beached.” Some expressions are also imprecise: “another dock” does not accurately describe the additional jetty, while “the area where fishing boats are kept and Marina are replaced with other” is difficult to interpret. Aim for precise map language such as “was relocated to,” “was converted into,” and “an additional jetty was added.” Check spelling carefully and use consistent terms for facilities and locations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex structures, including “Overall, the Porth Harour undergoes considerable changes” and the relative clause “the beach which used to be public.” However, errors in tense, sentence construction, articles, and punctuation are frequent enough to make some relationships unclear. For example, “changes occured … from 2000” needs a past-to-present comparison, while “another shower and toilet area is constructed” does not maintain a consistent tense. The sentence beginning “On the road some new cafes and shops are opened now…” joins clauses without appropriate punctuation or a clear grammatical link. Practise using past simple for the 2000 plan and present perfect or present simple for current features, and divide long sentences into shorter, complete statements.

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