Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-19

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 plan illustrates the changes made in port harbour from 2000 to today. The harbour has seen many changes in its infrastructure since 2000.

Overall, the harbour has become more tourist friendly with the introduction of hotel , cafe and shops etc. The docks have also expanded and more facilities were added.

In 2000 Porth Harbour had an disused castle on the south-east which is used as a hotel today. A public beach near the hotel has also been transformed into a private hotel for the people residing in the hotel. Before the Marina was on the north side and the fishing boats were found in the south side but now they have exchanged position. More toilets were added near the car park on the west side. There are also cafes and shops now for the guests which didn't exist in 2000. The dock size has been doubled to allow more ships into the harbour.

On the other hand, the car parking area , road and lifeboat has remained the same since 2000. The public beach on the north side also remains the same.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You identify the main transformation clearly: the former castle becomes a hotel, the marina and fishing-boat areas switch locations, and new cafés and shops appear. Your overview also captures the harbour’s increased tourist focus, while the final comparison notes features that remain unchanged. These points address the task and are generally supported by the plans. To make the account more complete and precise, include other notable changes, such as the additional jetty and berths at the dock, the new facilities beside the marina, and the change from a public to a hotel-only beach. The claim that the dock “size has been doubled” is not clearly supported; describe the extra jetty and two boats instead. Also clarify that the beach itself remains, but its access changes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is organised into a brief introduction and overview, followed by paragraphs describing changes and features that remain. This gives the reader a clear overall progression, and contrasts such as “Before the Marina…” and “but now” help show the main spatial changes. The final paragraph also provides a useful comparison of unchanged features. To strengthen cohesion further, group related developments more systematically—for example, describe the northern dock and fishing-boat changes together, then cover the southern hotel and beach. Some linking is basic or slightly awkward, particularly “On the other hand,” which suggests opposition rather than simply introducing unchanged features. More precise referencing would also help distinguish the beach’s location from its new private status.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing the plans, including “infrastructure,” “transformed,” “exchanged position,” and “remains the same.” These choices communicate the main changes, and some wording shows an attempt to vary expression. However, several phrases are imprecise or unnatural for a map report: “more tourist friendly,” “hotel for the people residing in the hotel,” and “dock size has been doubled.” “Etc.” is also too vague for formal reporting. Aim for concise, accurate terms such as “tourist-oriented facilities,” “hotel guests,” and “an additional jetty.” Check spelling and word forms, including “harbour” consistently and “cafés,” and avoid using broad terms such as “ships” when “boats” or “vessels” better matches the plan.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mixture of simple and more developed sentence forms, including the contrast in “Before the Marina was on the north side … but now they have exchanged position.” Most sentences remain understandable, but errors in articles, agreement, and sentence construction limit accuracy. For example, “had an disused castle” needs “a disused castle,” while “the car parking area, road and lifeboat has remained” requires plural agreement (“have remained”). In “A public beach … has also been transformed into a private hotel,” the sentence structure incorrectly makes the beach become a hotel; express the change in its status as a beach. There are also spacing and punctuation slips around commas. Review articles and subject–verb agreement, and use varied structures while checking each sentence’s grammatical relationships.

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