Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-21

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 diagram of harbour shows that how it used to look in 2000 and today.

Over the years harbour has undergone many alterations and new developments in most of the sectors.

Although the marina for private yachts and fishing boats are still there like in 2000 but now there positions have been exchanged. There is also addition of another showers and toilets beside the second car park. The car park whose entrance was from the service road has now been faced towards the main road. In the past, there were only two docks for ferries and now both the number of ferries and docks has increased to three. Furthermore new cafes and shops have been built near to the lifeboat. The disused castle in the southeast corner is now being converted into a Hotel. Near to this place there was a public beach that now serves only to the visitors of the hotel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify several major changes accurately, including the exchange of the marina and fishing-boat areas, the addition of cafés and shops, and the replacement of the disused castle with a hotel. Your opening also establishes the comparison between 2000 and today. This covers the task well, but some details are unclear or inaccurate: the map shows a dock with passenger ferries, not “two docks for ferries,” and today there are two boats at the dock rather than three ferries and docks. The claim that the beach serves only hotel visitors is broadly consistent with its new private status, but could be stated more precisely. To make the summary more complete, include the retained north-eastern public beach and give a clearer overview of the harbour’s overall redevelopment.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response presents relevant changes in a generally understandable sequence, moving from the harbour facilities to the dock and then the south-eastern area. Linking expressions such as “Although,” “Furthermore,” and “In the past” help connect points. However, the ideas are compressed into one paragraph, so there is little visible progression from an overview to grouped details. Some links are also awkward: “Although … but” uses two contrasting markers together, while “Near to this place” has an unclear reference. Organise the response into a brief introduction and overview followed by paragraphs grouping changes by location or feature. Use linking words selectively and make references such as “this area” or “the southern beach” explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for describing map changes, including “undergone,” “alterations,” “exchanged,” “addition,” and “converted.” These choices communicate the main developments and show some flexibility beyond basic location words. A few expressions are imprecise or unnatural, however: “in most of the sectors” is vague, “the number of ferries and docks has increased to three” mislabels the features, and “faced towards the main road” is not a natural way to describe an entrance’s orientation. Prefer precise map language such as “the entrance now faces the main road” and name the dock and boats accurately. More exact terms for retained, relocated, added, and replaced features would make the account clearer and more controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex forms, including a contrast clause beginning “Although” and the present perfect in “has undergone.” The main meaning is usually recoverable, but some errors recur in sentence construction and agreement. For example, “shows that how it used to look” incorrectly combines “that” and “how”; “the marina … and fishing boats are still there … but now there positions” has faulty agreement and an incorrect possessive form; and “There is also addition” is missing an article. The sentence beginning “Although” also needs either “although” or “but,” not both. Practise building accurate complex sentences and checking articles, subject–verb agreement, and pronouns; this will improve control without sacrificing variety.

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