Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-24

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 4.0)

the maps illustrate the different changes made in porth harbour from 2000 and today .

Overall, porth harbour provides a several changes area comparing in 2000 for instance adding a new showers and toilets just behind the secound car park and also a new cafe and shop was build . In addition, castlle disused was remplaced by an hotel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response identifies the topic and mentions two genuine developments: new cafés and shops, and the replacement of the disused castle by a hotel. However, it gives only a very limited account of the plans and does not describe the major changes to the harbour, such as the exchange of the marina and fishing-boat areas, the added jetty, or the hotel’s private beach. The overview is also unclear: “provides a several changes area” does not summarise the overall transformation. The response is 59 words, so it does not meet the 150-word minimum; this leaves too little space to select and report the main features. Describe the key changes and compare the two dates more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response, beginning with an introduction and then using “Overall” to signal a summary. The ideas that are included are broadly related to the task, and “In addition” connects another change. However, the response ends after one short overview-like paragraph, with no clear progression through the main features or comparison of locations. The linking phrase “for instance” does not lead into a clear example, and the relationship between the car park, facilities, and new cafés is difficult to follow. Use separate paragraphs for an overview and the specific changes, then group details by area or by what was replaced and added.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses a few relevant terms from the map, including “harbour,” “car park,” “showers and toilets,” and “hotel,” so the reader can recognise the subject. However, the vocabulary range is very limited for describing a plan, and several spelling or word-choice errors reduce clarity: “secound,” “castlle,” and “remplaced.” The phrase “provides a several changes area” is not a natural way to describe the development, while “a new cafe and shop was build” uses imprecise wording for the facilities shown. Build a wider set of accurate map-description phrases, such as “was relocated,” “was converted into,” and “was added beside,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts both a simple opening sentence and a longer sentence with “Overall” and “In addition,” showing some effort to connect ideas. However, grammatical control is uneven. In “a new cafe and shop was build,” the singular verb does not agree with the compound subject, and the passive construction needs a past participle. The opening also has unclear sentence structure, particularly around “from 2000 and today,” and the final sentence is joined to the preceding idea without clear punctuation. Most of the response relies on basic sentence patterns, so there is little evidence of a wider range. Practise accurate past-tense and passive forms, articles, and sentence boundaries before adding more complex structures.

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