Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The diagram illustrates how Porth Harbour has changed since it first opened in 2000. Overall, the harbour has undergone significant redevelopment, with many original features being removed or replaced. Many new buildings and facilities have been added, including cafes, shops, and passenger ferries. Meanwhile, the top public beach remains unchanged. In 2000, there was a disused castle in the bottom right corner, which has now been demolished and transformed into a hotel. On the other hand, the public beach beside the hotel has been acquired by the hotel as a private beach. Moreover, cafes and shops to the left of the lifeboat have also been introduced. The dock, where the passenger ferries are kept, has also been extended, along with the addition of new ferries. The marina(private yachts) and the fishing boats have replaced each other. The marina is now present next to cafes and shops, while fishing boats are present to the left of passenger ferries. Furthermore, more showers and toilets have been introduced to the left of the marina.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You give a clear overview of substantial redevelopment and identify several important changes accurately: the disused castle becomes a hotel, the southern beach becomes private, the dock is expanded, and the marina and fishing-boat areas exchange locations. These details address the main features of both plans and are generally well supported. However, the overview says “passenger ferries” are among the new facilities, although ferries are shown in both plans; it is the dock that gains an additional jetty and a second berthed boat. The statement that the marina is “next to cafes and shops” is also not a precise description of its position. More exact spatial comparisons and a clearer distinction between retained and newly added features would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is understandable and moves through the main changes in a broadly sensible order, using links such as “Overall,” “On the other hand,” and “Moreover.” However, it is presented as one continuous paragraph, so the overview and supporting details are not clearly separated. Several transitions also make the relationships between points less clear: “On the other hand” does not express a meaningful contrast in its context, and “The marina … and the fishing boats have replaced each other” is followed by overlapping location statements. Grouping the overview separately, then organising details by area or by changes to facilities and land use, would create clearer progression. Use fewer, more purposeful linking phrases and make references between sentences explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of map vocabulary, including “redevelopment,” “transformed,” “acquired,” “extended,” and “introduced,” and the reader can follow most descriptions. Some choices are imprecise or repetitive, however. “Opened” suggests the harbour began operating in 2000, which the plans do not establish; “changed” or “was redeveloped” is safer. “Demolished and transformed into a hotel” is also less exact than saying the castle was replaced by a hotel, since the plans show land use rather than the demolition process. Repeated use of “introduced” and “present” limits flexibility, while “top public beach” is less precise than “north-eastern public beach.” More accurate location terms and varied verbs would improve precision and naturalness.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

You show a good range of sentence forms, including a complex overview sentence (“Overall, the harbour has undergone significant redevelopment, with many original features being removed or replaced”) and accurate relative clauses such as “where the passenger ferries are kept.” Most sentences are grammatically controlled, and the past-to-present comparison is generally handled well. A few small issues remain: “the marina(private yachts)” needs a space before the parenthesis, and the sentence beginning “The marina(private yachts) and the fishing boats have replaced each other” is awkwardly constructed, making the relationship between the two areas harder to follow. The phrase “the public beach beside the hotel” could also be framed more clearly as a beach that has become private. Continue using varied structures, while checking punctuation and sentence clarity.

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