Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The given architecture compare the Porth Harbour layout from 2000 to today. Architecture give us in-depth knowledge about Porth Harbour.

If we look into first image of year 2000, we can clearly see it only contain one shower& toilet area followed by car parking#1. Right to shower and toilet, we got marina which is private yachts. Next car parking is in front of car parking#1 so in total we got 2 car parking. If we come from main road and took left turn we will first come to car parking#2 and next to it is fishing boat, however if we just go straight through the main road, we will find lifeboat and on the left, public beach and castle disused.

Compared to today, the architecture is completed changed. Instead of 1 shower and toilet area like we used to have, it has been upgraded to 2 shower areas however parking remains the same, however locations of fishing boat and marina (private yachts) have been interchanged. Major changes have happened, on the left side of porth harbour. From main road, where we used to turn left and come across lifeboat section and publich beach have been upgraded. If we took the same road, we will first came across multiple cafes and shops beside marina(private yachts) then we will came to lifeboat section. Castle (disused) which was not used in past has now been converted to hotel, and public beach has been also taken into the custody of hotel and has now become a private beach for the hotel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify several important changes, including the relocation of the marina and fishing boats, the addition of a hotel, and the conversion of the southern beach to private use. However, the response only partially summarises the plans: it lacks a clear overview of the main changes, and some details are inaccurate or unclear. For example, the cafés and shops are beside the lifeboat station, not the marina, and the public beach north-east of the harbour remains public; it is the southern beach that becomes private. The description of the 2000 layout also confuses the route and the positions of the beach and castle. Group the major changes into a concise overview, then report locations accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure, moving from the 2000 plan to the present-day plan, and comparison phrases such as “Compared to today” help signal the shift. However, progression within the paragraphs is not consistently clear: the account moves between car parks, roads, beaches and facilities without a stable spatial order. Repeated wording such as “if we” and “however” also makes the links feel mechanical, while references like “on the left” are difficult to interpret without a clear orientation. Organise each plan by area—for example, the northern entrance, western facilities and southern shore—and use precise linking phrases to show what changed or remained.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant map vocabulary, including “marina,” “lifeboat,” “private beach” and “converted to hotel,” so the reader can recognise the main subject. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing plans. “Architecture” is not the right term for the harbour layout, and “architecture is completed changed” does not clearly describe the redevelopment. Phrases such as “taken into the custody of hotel” are also unsuitable and obscure the intended meaning. Use precise terms for facilities and locations, and vary verbs such as “relocated,” “replaced,” “added” and “remained” to report changes clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt longer sentences and comparisons, but control is inconsistent, and errors occur often enough to make some descriptions difficult to follow. Examples include “The given architecture compare,” “it only contain,” and “we will first came across,” where verb forms or agreement are incorrect. Tense also shifts between past and present when describing the plans, and some sentences join several ideas with “however” without clear punctuation. Aim to use the past tense for the 2000 plan and the present tense for today, and check subject–verb agreement and verb forms. Shorter, accurately punctuated sentences would help make the spatial descriptions easier to understand.

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