Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-20

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 maps illustrates the changes that took places at porth harbour in 2000 and the present day.

Overall, the harbour has changed significantly with new facilities being replaced and new ones being added. The main changes included the construction of cafes and shops.

In 2000, there was a dock for passenger ferries in tha north and next to public beach. On the wast side, there was the main road that link with a car oark, marins, sjowers and toilets. In the down side of main road, there was anothe car park and next to fishing boats. One road was gone toward the life boat facilitiy, while on the south-east side one castle and public beach was available.

In present, there has changed with new facilities. The cafes and shops are being addedd in the center of porth. On the south-east side, the castle is replaced with a new hotel. In the southeast side, the fishing has become a marine. A car park remain nearby and showers and toilets have added.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad change from the harbour in 2000 to its present-day form and mention several relevant features, including the new cafés and shops, the hotel replacing the castle, and the marina’s relocation. However, the overview is too narrow: it singles out cafés and shops rather than summarising the main pattern of redevelopment, such as the exchange of the fishing-boat and marina areas and the changes to the southern beach. Some details are unclear or inaccurate; for example, the dock is not described as being next to the public beach, and the present-day account omits the private beach and the additional facilities and jetty. Select the most significant changes and describe their locations more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to separate descriptions of 2000 and the present, which helps the reader follow the time sequence. However, progression within the paragraphs is uneven, and several location references are difficult to interpret, such as “In the down side of main road” and “In the southeast side.” The repeated use of “In” and “On” to begin descriptions also makes the linking feel mechanical. Group details by area or by type of change, and use clearer references such as “to the north,” “south of the road,” and “by contrast” to connect the two maps. This would make the comparisons easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “dock,” “passenger ferries,” “car park,” and “castle,” and you attempt to describe change with phrases such as “replaced with” and “become.” However, the range is limited and several spelling errors make key details harder to understand, including “tha,” “wast,” “marins,” “sjowers,” and “facilitiy.” Some word choices are also imprecise: “the fishing has become a marine” does not clearly express that the marina occupies the former fishing-boat area. Use accurate map vocabulary such as “relocated,” “converted into,” and “situated,” and check spelling carefully. More precise terms would help you report the changes without ambiguity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the time-based organisation gives you opportunities to use past and present forms. However, grammatical errors occur frequently and sometimes make relationships between features unclear. For example, “The maps illustrates” has subject–verb disagreement, while “the changes that took places” uses an incorrect verb form. The sentence “In present, there has changed with new facilities” is also structurally incomplete, and “a car park remain” has an agreement error. Articles and sentence construction are inconsistent as well. Practise accurate basic clauses first, then combine them with controlled relative clauses or comparisons—for example, “The castle was replaced by a hotel, while the southern beach became private.”

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