Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The maps compare the layout of Porth Harbour in 2000 in contrast with the present time.

Overall, the basic layout for both the plans remained almost same. The major update observed in today`s plan is the addition of cafes and shops and new showers and toilets and the utilization of unused castle for the hotel.

The notable change in today´s plan is the addition of the cafes and shops located at left to the life boat section and right to the private yacht area.Furthermore, the new showers and toilets are constructed right next to the newly created Marina area. Another update is the utilization of unused castle as a hotel.

Additionally, the location of the fishing boat area is swapped with the marina;private yacht area in the present plan.Meanwhile, the public beach located in the South is converted to the private beach for the hotel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important changes, including the exchange of the marina and fishing-boat areas, the hotel replacing the disused castle, and the southern beach becoming private. The overview also recognises new facilities. However, the account is selective: it omits the extra jetty and second berthed boat, the cafés and shops’ position relative to the lifeboat, and the changes to the showers and car parks. The description of the southern beach as previously public is not supported by the plan, which labels it simply “Public beach” in 2000. The response is also five words below the required minimum. Add a little more accurate detail about the harbour entrance and facilities to make the comparison fuller.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overall statement, and paragraphs describing changes. This makes the main comparison reasonably easy to follow. However, the progression is limited because the final two paragraphs repeat changes already mentioned in the overview, and the description does not group the harbour’s northern and southern changes in a clear sequence. Linking expressions such as “Furthermore” and “Additionally” help, but “Meanwhile” does not establish a particularly clear contrast here. Improve cohesion by organising the details by location or by type of change, and use references such as “the southern basin” or “the northern entrance” to guide the reader without repeating the same points.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of map vocabulary, including “layout,” “addition,” “located,” “converted,” and “swapped,” and the main changes remain understandable. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “utilization of unused castle.” Some choices are awkward or imprecise, however: “in contrast with the present time” is less natural than a direct comparison, and “left to” is not a precise way to describe a map position. “Life boat section” is also an unclear label for the lifeboat station. Aim for concise, conventional map language and accurate facility names; this will make the description more precise while retaining the adequate range already shown.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use both simple statements and more complex forms, including “The major update … is the addition…” and “the public beach … is converted…”. Most meanings can be understood, but some grammatical and punctuation errors remain. In “the basic layout for both the plans remained almost same,” the article is missing before “same,” and “both the plans” is not the natural construction. The phrase “located at left to the life boat section and right to the private yacht area” has faulty preposition patterns. There are also inconsistent apostrophe styles and missing spaces after punctuation, as in “area.Furthermore” and “Marina;private.” Check articles, prepositions, and sentence spacing, while continuing to use varied sentence forms.

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