Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-15

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 4.5)

The given maps provided the information about a porth harbour in 2000 and how it looks today.

Overall it is clear that today harbour look was changed new harbour removed a castle because it is disused. While there were some changes in today harbour some things removed. Instead of old things buid a new things in old harbour some things removed but in new harbour some new things construct.

Regarding the map shows that in today harbour buid a cafes, shops and lifeboat while in old harbour just build a lifeboat. whereas in old harbours just build a public beach but in new harbour build a private beach with hotel and in new narbour buid a hotel.

In conclusion, in this map talks about a old harbour and today harbour difference new harbour is better then old harbour because some things are not build in old harbour but now these things build are in new harbour.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the two time periods and mention several relevant changes, including the addition of cafés and shops, the hotel, and the change from a public to a private beach. However, the response gives only a limited account of the maps and does not clearly describe major spatial changes, such as the marina and fishing boats switching locations or the dock gaining another jetty. The overview is unclear and repetitive: “some things removed” and “some new things construct” do not summarise the main pattern accurately. The claim that the harbour is “better” is an unsupported opinion rather than a map feature. The response is 148 words, below the 150-word minimum; the eight words copied from the task prompt are excluded from the count. Add accurate comparisons and a concise overview.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is an attempt to organise the response into an introduction, overview, detail paragraph and conclusion, which gives it a basic structure. However, progression is difficult to follow because the overview and conclusion repeat general statements rather than developing a clear comparison. For example, “some things removed” and “some new things construct” recur without specifying what changed. Linking words such as “Overall,” “Regarding,” and “In conclusion” are present, but “whereas” is awkwardly attached to the preceding sentence, and the relationships between details are not always clear. To improve, group changes by location or feature, use one clear overview, and connect each comparison directly to the relevant feature.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses a small set of task-related words, including “harbour,” “public beach,” “private beach,” “hotel,” and “lifeboat,” so the reader can recognise the general subject. However, vocabulary is basic and repetitive, with “new harbour,” “old harbour,” “things,” and “build” used repeatedly. Several word choices or forms make the meaning less clear, such as “today harbour look,” “buid a cafes,” and “new narbour.” More precise map vocabulary would help you report changes rather than make broad claims: for example, describe facilities as added, replaced, relocated, or retained. Check spelling and use natural collocations, such as “the harbour’s layout” and “a hotel was built,” to make the description clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt a few longer structures, including “While there were some changes…” and “because some things are not build…,” but most sentences rely on simple patterns, and errors frequently affect clarity. Examples include missing or incorrect articles in “a porth harbour” and “a cafes,” subject–verb agreement in “today harbour look was changed,” and incorrect verb forms in “some things construct” and “are not build.” Sentence boundaries and punctuation also need attention: “whereas” begins a fragment after a full stop, while the overview combines several ideas without clear grammatical links. Practise accurate past and present passive forms for map changes, such as “the castle was replaced by a hotel,” alongside correctly formed comparison sentences.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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