Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The given maps illustrates the plans of a harbour in 2000 and the changes that have been made at the harbour with time with the current plans.

Overall, the harbout had gone through major changes with addition of new zones. Many places are changed and are being used for different purposes.

Earlier,there were only four docks which are now increased to six for more ferries. The place that was designated for the private yachts in 2000 is now occupied by the fisher mens who park there fishing boats there and the Marina is shifted to the previously used fishing boat area.

More cafes and shops are built on the side of the life boat area near the new Marina. And the Castle is converted into a hotel which has also aquired the nearby public beach and now its only used by the hotel guests. New showers and toilets are built near the car parking which is now connected to the main road from the west gate.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the broad transformation from harbour facilities to a more developed visitor destination, and your overview notes that areas have been added or repurposed. Several key comparisons are also accurate: the marina and fishing-boat areas switch locations, cafés and shops appear beside the lifeboat area, and the disused castle becomes a hotel with a private beach. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear. The maps show an additional jetty and two boats at the dock, not “four docks” increasing to six, and the fishing boats occupy the former marina basin. The claim that the beach is used only by hotel guests is broadly consistent with its new private status, but the final sentence about new facilities and a west gate is imprecise. A more precise overview and accurate selection of changes would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a brief overview, and two paragraphs describing changes. This gives the reader a general route through the information, and phrases such as “Overall” and “Earlier” help signal the stages. However, the progression within the detail paragraphs is not consistently clear. The dock claim is introduced before the more central changes, while the final sentence combines showers, parking and road access without clearly explaining their locations or what changed. Some references, such as “the place” and “there,” are vague, and the sentence beginning “And the Castle” feels detached from the preceding point. Grouping changes by location or by facility, and using clearer links such as “In the northern basin” and “By contrast,” would make the account easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of vocabulary for describing map changes, including “occupied,” “shifted,” “converted,” and “nearby,” and the main ideas remain understandable. There are also attempts at more specific terms such as “designated” and “previously used.” However, some choices are inaccurate or awkward for this task: “docks” is used where the map shows jetties and boats, and “park there fishing boats there” is unclear. Spelling errors such as “harbout,” “fisher mens,” “aquired,” and “life boat” reduce accuracy. Aim for precise map vocabulary and standard forms, for example “berths,” “relocated,” and “facilities.” This would make the description more natural and exact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both simple statements and some attempts at more complex structures, such as “The Castle is converted into a hotel which has also…” This shows some range, and most of the intended meaning can be understood. However, errors in agreement, tense, articles and sentence construction remain. For example, “The given maps illustrates” should use a plural verb, while “the harbout had gone through” is an awkward tense choice for comparing a past map with today. The clause “who park there fishing boats there” is structurally unclear, and “And the Castle…” creates a fragment-like connection to the previous sentence. Check subject–verb agreement and build each comparison as a complete, clearly linked sentence; this would improve control while retaining your attempts at complex forms.

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

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