Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-17

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 5.0)

The given map illustrates a comparison between the current layout of a particular harbout with its appearance in 2000.

Overall, the number of docks and shower and toilet areas doubled while a cafe and shops area was added eventhough the overall structure remained mostly unchanged.

An additional dock was added to the north section of the Porth harbour, right next to the one that was in 2000. The marina for private yachts was switched to the place for anchoring fishing boats and vice versa from where it has been in the past. Meanwhile, an addition

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify several relevant changes, including the relocation of the marina and fishing boats and the addition of facilities. However, the response addresses the map only partially: the overview claim that the number of docks doubled is inaccurate, as the dock remains and an extra jetty is added. The maps also show a hotel replacing the disused castle and the southern beach becoming private, but these important changes are not reported. The response ends mid-sentence (“Meanwhile, an addition”), leaving the account incomplete, and it is 55 words below the required minimum. To improve, give a complete overview and describe the main changes across the harbour, including the hotel, beaches, car parks and facilities, with accurate comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening sentence is followed by an overview and then a paragraph describing changes. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Meanwhile,” and “and vice versa” help signal relationships between ideas. However, the progression is limited because the response stops abruptly at “Meanwhile, an addition,” and the changes are not grouped into a complete, easy-to-follow account. The overview also combines several points without clearly distinguishing what changed from what stayed the same. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and the main details, then organise the details by location or type of change. Complete each sentence and use clear references so readers can follow which features moved or were added.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses some suitable map vocabulary, including “layout,” “marina,” “anchoring,” and “switched,” and these choices communicate the central relocation of the two boat areas. There is some variation in phrasing, such as “current layout” and “appearance in 2000.” However, several expressions are imprecise or awkward for describing plans: “the place for anchoring fishing boats” is wordy, while “an addition” is left incomplete. There are also spelling and form errors in “harbout” and “eventhough.” Aim for concise, accurate terms such as “berth,” “relocated,” and “facilities,” and check spelling and spacing. A broader range of precise location and development vocabulary would make the comparisons clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You show some control of sentence forms, including a complex comparison in “while the overall structure remained mostly unchanged” and a passive construction in “An additional dock was added.” Most of the intended meaning is understandable. However, the response contains a sentence fragment at the end (“Meanwhile, an addition”), and the phrase “switched to the place … and vice versa from where it has been” is structurally awkward and difficult to follow. The present perfect “has been” also sits uneasily with the past-time reference to 2000. Use complete sentences and keep the time frame consistent, for example, describing past locations with the past simple and current locations with the present simple. More accurate complex comparisons would strengthen control.

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

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