Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The plan compares the current developments of Porth harbour with its last version.

Overall, the area is now more commerical with many modern amentities, and the most significant feature is a hotel which replaces the unused castle.

Starting off with docks, to the North side of the harbour, there was only one dock and to the left of it, there was an empty space where a new dock is constructed. At the East-South of the site, it used to be a disused caslte, which is now replaced with a commerial hotel. Below that, it there was a pubic beach and it is now allocated to hotel that make it private property under the hotel.

The South side of the harbour remained unchanged, expect the cafes and shops to the left of lifeboat area. There are some consider changes on the West side of the site. The fishing boats area and Marina area is swipped with each other. Finally, there was one one showers and toilets section under the top car park area and now another one is installed on the top of bottom parking area.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main overall change: the harbour has become more commercial, and the disused castle has been replaced by a hotel. You also report several key transformations accurately, including the exchange of the fishing-boat and marina areas, the addition of cafés and shops, and the conversion of the southern beach to private use. This gives the response a clear overview and covers the main changes. Some details are less fully or precisely described: the new dock arrangement is unclear, and the changes to showers and toilets and car parks are only partly explained. To strengthen the account further, describe the two jetties and boats at the northern entrance and clarify which facilities were added or relocated.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing changes around the harbour. Location-based sequencing, such as moving from the north to the south and then the west, helps the reader follow the map. However, progression is not always smooth. Phrases such as “Starting off with docks” and “Finally” create a list-like effect, while “The South side ... remained unchanged, expect the cafes and shops” is confusing because it combines an unchanged area with a new feature. Some references, including “Below that” and “another one,” are not fully clear. Group related changes into clearer comparisons between 2000 and today, and use more precise linking and referencing.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant map vocabulary, including “harbour,” “disused castle,” “private,” “lifeboat,” and “fishing boats,” and you attempt more descriptive language such as “significant feature” and “commercial.” This is enough to communicate the broad changes, but inaccurate spelling and word choice are noticeable and sometimes distract from the information: “commerical,” “amentities,” “caslte,” and “swipped” are examples. Some phrases are also imprecise or unnatural, such as “last version,” “empty space,” and “allocated to hotel.” Aim for accurate spelling and conventional map-report collocations, such as “compared with 2000,” “an additional dock,” and “converted into a private beach.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer sentences, including clauses linked with “which” and “where,” but control is inconsistent. Errors in sentence construction and tense appear in examples such as “Below that, it there was a pubic beach,” and “it used to be a disused caslte, which is now replaced.” The sentence about the south side also lacks a clear grammatical connection between the unchanged area and the cafés and shops. There are some effective basic structures, but complex attempts are often faulty, and these errors can make relationships between features difficult to follow. Practise forming clear past-versus-present comparisons, checking subject–verb structure, and separating long sentences when needed.

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