Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The plans compare the information on harbour in 2000 and how it looks currently.

Overall, in 2000 there was a castle (disused) at the south-east near the public beach which is replaced by a hotel and the beach is private (just for the hotel). Another important change is the building of cafes and shops near the road which was not present before in 2000.

There is shuffling of fishing boats and marine (private yachts). Currently there is more than one showers and toilets, before it was only one in the North side but now there is another restroom between two car parks. The placement of dock changes before it was not a part of passengers ferries, now it is.

While majority of the plan remains the same including main road, public beach, passenger ferrie, life boats.

In conclusion the plan didn't change much from 2000. It undergoes little changes according to the demad of today's world.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important changes, including the replacement of the disused castle with a hotel, the conversion of the southern beach to private use, the addition of cafés and shops, and the relocation of the fishing boats and marina. These are relevant features, and you also attempt an overview. However, the overview is not fully accurate: saying the plan “didn't change much” understates the changes to the marina and fishing-boat areas, dock, and facilities. Some details are unclear or incorrect, such as claiming the dock was not previously part of the passenger-ferry area. The comparison of showers and toilets is also imprecise. To strengthen the response, select the main transformations and describe their locations and before-and-after arrangements more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to several changes and a concluding statement. This gives the reader some overall organisation. However, progression between points is uneven: the paragraph beginning “There is shuffling” combines the relocation of boats, facilities, and the dock without a clear order, while the separate sentence “While majority of the plan remains the same” is grammatically incomplete and interrupts the flow. Linking phrases such as “Another important change” help, but connections between comparisons are sometimes mechanical or unclear. Group the changes by area or type, and use clear before-and-after links so each paragraph develops one coherent set of features.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “replaced,” “private,” “building,” and “placement,” and the reader can generally understand the changes you describe. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or awkward, which reduces precision. For example, “shuffling” is informal for describing the relocation of facilities, “marine” is not the correct term for “marina,” and “restroom” does not match the map’s label “showers and toilets.” There are also spelling errors such as “ferrie” and “demad,” and “information on harbour” is an unnatural phrase. Use precise map vocabulary such as “relocated,” “harbour facilities,” and “the marina for private yachts,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer comparisons, and the main message is usually understandable. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, particularly in articles, agreement, sentence construction, and verb forms. Examples include “information on harbour,” which needs an article, and “there was a castle … which is replaced,” where the tense and relative clause are not well formed. “There is shuffling” is also an awkward construction, while “While majority of the plan remains the same” is a dependent clause presented as a complete sentence and lacks an article before “majority.” Aim to use accurate past and present forms when comparing the maps, and build complete sentences with clear subjects and verbs. Proofreading these patterns would improve clarity.

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

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