Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-18
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 plan illustrates the condition of a place of refuge in the year 2000 and what it looks like today. In the overview, the private beach and the hotel was new built. The space for marine boats was expanded, and new cafes and shops were built.
In 2000, the condition of Porth refuge place on the south side public beach and castle. On the opposite side, the lifeboat is at the end of the road. On the west side, the car park is attached to the main road. On the north side, the public beach with passenger ferries.
The condition of the harbor that can be seen today is the replacement of the marina private yachts and fishing boat. The cafes and shops were newly constructed near the lifeboat. The public beach was converted into a private beach that is on the south side. The castle was converted into hotel.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
You identify several important changes, including the hotel replacing the castle, the southern beach becoming private, and cafés and shops being added near the lifeboat. However, the account only partially covers the plans: the overview is brief and does not clearly summarise the main pattern of change, while several location details are inaccurate or unclear. For example, the northern public beach is described as being “with passenger ferries,” although the ferries are at the harbour entrance, and the lifeboat is not at the end of the road but on a pier beside the harbour. The marina and fishing boats exchange areas, rather than the marina simply being expanded. Select the major changes accurately and compare the two plans more explicitly.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response has a basic structure, moving from an overview to a description of 2000 and then the present-day plan. This gives the reader some organisation, and phrases such as “In 2000” and “today” help signal the time comparison. However, progression within the paragraphs is limited: the 2000 details are presented as a series of separate “On the…” statements, and the final paragraph repeats some points from the overview rather than developing a clear comparison. Some references are also difficult to follow, particularly “On the opposite side” and “The condition of the harbor.” Group features by area or by type of change, and use clearer links such as “By contrast” or “Meanwhile” to show how locations have changed.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “marina,” “lifeboat,” “public beach,” “private beach,” and “converted,” so the main subject is generally recognisable. There is also an attempt to use terms such as “replacement” and “constructed.” However, the range is limited and several phrases are unnatural or imprecise, such as “place of refuge,” “Porth refuge place,” and “space for marine boats.” These choices make some descriptions harder to understand and do not consistently identify harbour features accurately. Aim for standard map-description vocabulary and precise labels, for example “harbour,” “marina for private yachts,” and “the marina and fishing-boat areas exchanged locations.” Check collocations as well as individual word meanings.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
Most sentences use simple structures, and the reader can understand several of the main changes. However, the range is limited, and frequent errors in sentence construction and agreement sometimes make the descriptions difficult to interpret. For example, “the private beach and the hotel was new built” has a plural subject with a singular verb and an incorrect verb form; “In 2000, the condition of Porth refuge place on the south side public beach and castle” is not a complete sentence; and “the replacement of the marina private yachts and fishing boat” lacks a clear grammatical relationship between the features. Practise complete comparative sentences with accurate past and present forms, such as “The castle was replaced by a hotel, while the beach became private.”
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