Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-26

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)

Overall, there were many developments in the harbour, especially with new buildings,parking spaces, and tourist facilities.

Looking at the westren side, there is a new car parking and another shower and tiolet block built right next to the old one. In the northern part, the positions of the marina for private yachts and the fishing boats changed. In 2000, the marina was at the top and the fishing boats were below it, but today the fishing boats are at the top and the marina is below. The central dock area also became bigger.

In the middle of harbour, a row of cafes and shops was built next the lifeboat station. on the eastren side, the biggest change is that the castle was turned in to hotel. Also, the public beach on the southeran side was changed into a private beach for hotel guests.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important changes, including the exchange of locations between the marina and fishing boats, the addition of cafés and shops, and the castle’s replacement by a hotel. However, the overview is broad and does not summarise the harbour’s main transformation clearly, while some details are inaccurate: the southern beach was public in 2000 and is private today, rather than simply being described as changed from a public beach without clarifying its hotel connection. You also say a new car park and shower block were built next to the old ones, but the plan shows additional facilities in the south-west as well as facilities in the north-west. The response is 143 words, below the 150-word minimum. Include the dock changes and the retained north-eastern public beach to make the account more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall sequence: it begins with a general statement, then describes changes on the western side, in the northern area, and around the centre and east. Location phrases such as “In the northern part” and “In the middle of harbour” help readers follow the map. However, the paragraphing is limited, and the final paragraph combines several distinct changes without much development. Some transitions are abrupt, particularly the move from the dock to the cafés and then to the eastern side. A more deliberate structure—an overview followed by separate paragraphs for the harbour facilities and the southern/eastern changes—would strengthen progression. Check sentence openings and punctuation so that transitions do not feel mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant map vocabulary, including “marina,” “fishing boats,” “lifeboat station,” and “private beach,” and these terms make the main changes understandable. There is some useful variation in phrases such as “positions … changed” and “was turned into.” However, the range is limited, and several word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors reduce precision: “car parking” is less natural here than “car park,” while “westren,” “tiolet,” “eastren,” and “southeran” are misspelled. “The central dock area also became bigger” is vague and does not clearly describe the additional jetty and boats. Use precise terms for facilities and changes, and proofread spelling to make the description more accurate and fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and some more developed structures, for example, “In 2000, the marina was at the top and the fishing boats were below it, but today…” This comparison is easy to follow, and past and present forms are generally used appropriately. However, some grammatical errors remain. In “built next the lifeboat station,” the preposition “to” is missing, and “In the middle of harbour” needs an article (“the harbour”). The sentence beginning “on the eastren side” should start with a capital letter, and punctuation after “station” should be checked. There is also limited variety in sentence patterns. Practise accurate articles and prepositions, and combine related map details using controlled complex sentences.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.