Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The plans illustrates how a porth harbour changed between 2000 and now.

Overall, the porth harbour underwent substantial development, with some areas have been removed or relocated and some areas have been added.

In 2000, the western part of the porth, there was a car park below showers & toilets. The other car park was connected with the road. The central part of porth harbour were river, in which there were two passenger ferries and in middle of them there was dock. Along with them, there was a public beach. To the south of the harbour, there was a road connected with the lifeboat and the castle which was disused in the corner of the eastern part. The one public beach below the castle. There were marina and fishing boats in the north-western part.

Looking at the today's porth harbour, the western part of the porth, the showers & toilets have been built and car park relocated under the new showers & toilets. The castle has been replaced with the hotel and public beach has been converted into private beach that can be used for the hotel. One more passenger ferry has been added. Although lifeboat remained same, there has been new cafes & shops added. The road toward the lifeboat has been widened also towars the hotel. The public beach remained at the same position.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You provide an overview of substantial change and identify several important developments, including the castle becoming a hotel, the southern beach becoming private, and the public beach remaining in place. However, the account is only partly complete and some details are inaccurate or unclear. For example, the ferries are not described as two boats in the central harbour with a dock between them; the plan shows passenger ferries near the northern entrance, where the dock gains an additional jetty and two boats are berthed. You also miss the key exchange of uses: fishing boats move to the northern basin, while the marina shifts to the southern one. Explain these major changes more precisely and compare the two plans systematically.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overall summary, and separate descriptions of the earlier and current plans. This gives the reader a basic progression through the information. However, some sequencing and linking are awkward, and the descriptions do not consistently guide the reader from one area to another. Phrases such as “Along with them” and “Looking at the today's porth harbour” make connections unclear, while the final paragraph combines several changes without a clear spatial order. Grouping features by location or by type of change, and using clearer transitions such as “In contrast” or “Meanwhile,” would make the comparisons easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant map vocabulary, including “relocated,” “replaced,” “remained,” and “western part,” which helps communicate the main changes. However, the range is limited and some word choices or combinations are imprecise, such as “the central part … were river,” “connected with the lifeboat,” and “one more passenger ferry.” Repetition of “part,” “road,” and “beach” also limits flexibility. Use more precise terms for map features and changes, such as “harbour basin,” “adjacent to,” “was converted into,” and “an additional berth/jetty,” where these match the plan. Check spelling and capitalisation of place names and labels, including “Porth” and “towards.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “Although lifeboat remained same,” but grammatical errors are frequent and sometimes make relationships difficult to understand. Examples include “The plans illustrates,” “some areas have been removed,” and “the central part … were river,” where agreement or verb forms are incorrect. Articles and sentence construction are also problematic in “The one public beach below the castle” and “Looking at the today's porth harbour.” Aim for accurate basic clauses first: for example, “The plans illustrate…” and “The central area was a harbour basin.” Then build comparisons with controlled past and present forms, checking articles, subject–verb agreement, and complete sentences.

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