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 images describe the layout of porth harbour in the year 2000 and how it looks today, after revamp.

It is clearly seen that, a few things are added in the plan, as a single docking area is rebuit into two, also the abandoned castle is now a hotel, and public beach near it is specified for the hotel, there was only one restroom area which is also doubled now, and a small area is allocated to cafes and shops.

Near the main road, there are two areas for car parkings and the north one had restroom area with it. In current layout, another showers and toilets section is built near the second parking. Area for private yatches was at north and fishing boats were in the south, and the are just swaped. Another docking site is built near the previous one, which is near the public beach at the north.

A small road is going at the end where a disused castle was standing in 2000, which is now transformed into a hotel, and the public beach near castle is now a private beach, only for the hotel facilities, Last but not least, a small area near lifeboat docking is now allocated to cafes and shops.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several major changes accurately: the marina and fishing-boat areas have switched, the disused castle has become a hotel, the southern beach is now private, and cafés and shops have been added. You also note the extra jetty and the additional showers and toilets. This gives a relevant account of the plans, but some details are unclear or imprecise. For example, “public beach near it” could be mistaken for the northern public beach, which remains public; specify that the beach south of the road is now private. The opening overview lists changes but does not clearly summarise the overall transformation. Also, “a small road is going at the end” is not a clear comparison of the road layout. Grouping the main changes into a sharper overview and describing locations more precisely would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic progression from general changes to facilities and then the southern area, and phrases such as “In current layout” and “Last but not least” help signal movement between points. However, the organisation is not consistently clear: the second paragraph combines parking, toilets, boat areas and the dock, while the final paragraph repeats the hotel, beach and cafés already mentioned. This repetition weakens progression, and some references, such as “near it” and “the previous one,” do not identify their locations precisely. Use a clearer overview followed by separate paragraphs for the northern harbour and the southern shore, and avoid repeating features. More accurate linking and referencing would make the account easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of relevant vocabulary, including “layout,” “allocated,” “transformed,” “docking area” and “private beach,” so the main changes are generally understandable. There are also attempts at more specific terms, such as “lifeboat docking.” However, several word choices and spelling errors reduce precision: “restroom area” is less suitable than “showers and toilets,” “car parkings” is not the standard form, and “yatches” is misspelled. “Docking area” and “docking site” are also less precise than “jetty” when describing the added structure. Aim to use the labels shown on the plan and check spelling, plural forms and collocations. This would make the description more natural and exact without requiring a much wider vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and longer sentences, including comparisons such as “Area for private yatches was at north and fishing boats were in the south, and the are just swaped.” The main meaning is usually recoverable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. Articles and prepositions are often missing or inaccurate (“at north,” “in the south”), and the pronoun and verb in “the are just swaped” do not agree with the intended subject. The long sentence beginning “It is clearly seen that” joins several changes with commas, creating a run-on structure; the final sentence also shifts into a capitalised “Last” after a comma. Use shorter, complete sentences, check subject–verb agreement and articles, and punctuate lists of changes more carefully. More consistent control is needed alongside the range attempted.

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