Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-16

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 plans demonstrate a harbour two decades ago and the way it looks now. According to the plan a few changes have been made to the harbour since 2000.

The Porth Harbour years ago has a dock towards north along with public beach towards the east. The passenger ferries were adjecent to the dock. Towards the left side of dock, private yachts were available with shower and toilets just obove the car parking. Below the fishing boats there was a road which is still present. A castle which was not used was towards the east with a public beach just below it.

After the developments made in the harbour, there are now two docks constructed. Towards the left side of the docks fishing boats are available instead of private yachts and they have been moved in the place of fishing boats. New showers and toilets facility has been introducted for private yachts towards the downside of fishing boats.

Old castle has been turned into a hotel with private beach alloted to the hotel. New cafes and shops have been build just alongside the lifeboat while the road which led to main road remains unchanged.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important changes, including the replacement of the disused castle by a hotel, the conversion of the southern beach to private use, and the addition of cafés and shops. You also note that the road remains. These details are relevant and generally match the plans. However, the overview is vague (“a few changes”) and does not summarise the main pattern of redevelopment. Some key changes are unclear or omitted: the marina and fishing-boat areas exchange locations, and the northern dock gains an additional jetty and a second berthed boat. The statement that “two docks” were constructed is inaccurate; the plan shows an additional jetty, not two new docks. A clearer overview and more precise comparisons would make the account more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear basic structure: it describes the earlier harbour, then the present-day changes, with paragraphs separating the two periods. Time markers such as “years ago” and “After the developments” help the reader follow the comparison. However, the progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to track because locations are described using repeated, imprecise references such as “towards the left side” and “below.” The sentence about the fishing boats and yachts (“they have been moved in the place of fishing boats”) is especially unclear, making the relationship between the two areas hard to follow. Organise the changes by location or by type, and use more precise linking and referencing so each comparison is easy to understand.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant harbour vocabulary, including “dock,” “passenger ferries,” “private yachts,” “lifeboat,” and “public beach,” which gives the description an appropriate range. There are also attempts to describe change with phrases such as “turned into” and “remains unchanged.” However, several choices are imprecise or awkward, including “two docks constructed,” “facility has been introducted,” and “beach alloted to the hotel.” Spelling errors such as “adjecent,” “obove,” “introducted,” “cafes,” and “build” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise map language and check spelling; for example, distinguish a new jetty from a dock and use natural collocations such as “facilities were added” or “the beach was reserved for hotel guests.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mixture of simple sentences and some more developed structures, including “After the developments made in the harbour…” and the relative clause “the road which led to main road.” Most of the meaning remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. For example, “The Porth Harbour years ago” lacks a clear time construction, while “there are now two docks constructed” uses an awkward verb pattern. Articles and prepositions are also inconsistent, as in “towards north” and “to main road.” The sentence about the yachts and fishing boats has an unclear pronoun reference and faulty construction. Practise accurate past and present forms, articles, and location phrases, while varying sentence structures without making them difficult to control.

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