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 two plans illustrate how the layout of harbour changed between 2000 and the present day .

overall , the porth harbour has undergone considerable development . while the facilities was remained unchanged , several new facilities just added including cafes and shops , hotel , new showers and toilets , double dock have been introduced.

in 2000 , the western part of harbour occupied by the showers and toilets , car park , also marina private yachts .the public beach and dock was located in the northern part . in the middle there was a passenger ferries . the southestern side occupied by lifeboat , public beach , castle disused . there was another car park and some fishing boats in the southwestern side .

today , the marina private yachts has been transfered into fishing boats and fishing boats transfered into marina private yachts . there was added a new showers and toilets left side of marina . new cafes and shops have been added southern part also the castle converted into hotel .A new dock added in the northern side.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You provide a relevant overview, noting that the harbour has developed and that a hotel, cafés and shops, and additional facilities have been introduced. You also identify the key change in the locations of the marina and fishing boats, and the conversion of the castle. However, some important details are unclear or inaccurate: the marina and fishing boats have exchanged areas, rather than being transferred into one another, and the dock has an additional jetty rather than simply being a “new dock.” The overview’s claim that facilities “remained unchanged” is also too broad, since the southern beach became private and the castle was replaced. Several locations, such as the north-eastern public beach and the lifeboat, could be described more precisely. This covers the main changes, but some are under-developed or imprecise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, a description of the 2000 plan, and a final paragraph about today. The time-based organisation helps the reader follow the comparison, and words such as “while” and “today” provide some linking. However, the progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow because several features are listed in quick succession without clear relationships. For example, the 2000 description groups the beach, castle, and lifeboat together as being on the south-eastern side, although their positions differ. The final paragraph also moves abruptly from the exchanged boat areas to new facilities and the hotel. Use clearer location-based grouping and linking phrases such as “in contrast” or “to the south” to make the comparisons more cohesive.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant map vocabulary, including “layout,” “facilities,” “marina,” “public beach,” and “converted into,” and the reader can generally understand the changes you describe. There is some attempt to use more specific language, but several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unclear. “Double dock” does not accurately describe the additional jetty, while “the marina … has been transferred into fishing boats” confuses a change of location with a change of identity. Phrases such as “the western part … occupied by” and “the southestern side” also reduce precision. Aim for standard map-reporting expressions such as “was located,” “was replaced by,” and “was relocated to,” and check spelling and natural combinations of words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple sentences and more complex forms, including the contrast introduced by “while” and the passive construction “the castle converted into hotel.” However, grammatical errors occur across the response and sometimes make relationships between features harder to understand. Examples include “the layout of harbour changed,” “the facilities was remained unchanged,” and “there was added a new showers,” which show problems with articles, agreement, verb forms, and sentence construction. Tense and passive forms also need more consistent control when comparing the two dates. For example, write “the facilities remained unchanged” or “new facilities were added,” and use complete location sentences such as “The marina was relocated to the southern basin.” More accurate sentence patterns would make your comparisons clearer.

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