Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-22

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 two images shows a harbour plan, one in 2000 and the other shows how it looks today.

The west and north of the harbour shows minimal changes where is the east and south are the major sites where significant changes can be seen clearly.

On the right side of the harbour, the number parking of docks has now more space and has two boats parked, Castle has been changed to hotle, public beach is now labeled as private beach, cafes and shops has been removed. the sea shore near the hotel is now preserved for hotel. and a road has been build to connect hotel to the area around.

Similarly on the left, Marina private yachts and fishing boats places are replaced with each other, and an other showers and toilets area is added near the car park. where is some parts of the harbour remains same like lifeboat area, public beach and passenger ferries on the north.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main contrast between the harbour in 2000 and today, including the hotel replacing the disused castle, the beach becoming private, and the marina and fishing-boat areas switching locations. These are relevant features, and you also note that some facilities remain. However, the overview is unclear: “the west and north … minimal changes” overlooks notable northern changes, including the dock’s extra jetty and the relocation of fishing boats. Some details are inaccurate or confusing: cafés and shops were added, not removed, and the two boats are at the dock rather than “parking of docks.” The road was already present in 2000. To make the account more complete, describe the key changes accurately and distinguish them from features that stayed the same.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, a broad comparison, and paragraphs describing changes on the right and left. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, the grouping is not consistently clear, and the overview’s division into “west and north” versus “east and south” does not match the changes you later describe. Some links are awkward or unclear, particularly “Similarly on the left” and “where is some parts … remains same,” which makes the relationship between changed and unchanged features harder to follow. Organise the report around clear categories, such as changes to facilities and shoreline, followed by features that remain, and use straightforward transitions to connect each point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant map vocabulary, including “harbour,” “private beach,” “car park,” and “Marina private yachts,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, several word choices and collocations are imprecise, such as “number parking of docks,” “boats parked,” and “sea shore … preserved for hotel.” These expressions do not describe the map changes naturally and can obscure the intended meaning. There are also spelling errors in “hotle” and “cafes,” and “removed” gives the wrong meaning for the cafés and shops. Aim for precise terms such as “dock,” “berthed,” “designated for hotel guests,” and “added,” and check spelling and word forms before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including comparisons with “whereas” and clauses beginning “where.” However, some errors in sentence structure, agreement, articles, and punctuation make parts of the report difficult to read. For example, “The two images shows” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “the west and north … where is the east and south” is not a correctly formed contrast. In “cafes and shops has been removed,” the plural subject requires a plural verb, and the sentence needs clearer punctuation. Try building accurate comparison sentences, for example, “While the northern public beach remains, the southern beach is now private.” Review agreement and sentence boundaries, especially when joining several changes in one sentence.

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

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