Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-28
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 diagram illustrates the plan of Porth Habrbour in 2000 and how it looks nowadays.
There are few differences between the harbour 2000 plan and today's plan.
The porth harbour had 2 links which is connected to the main road in 2000 but now there are three links that is connected to the main road. In south east area, now car park is is directly connected with the main road.
The castle disused in 2000 plan is converted into Hotel today. Now there is a hotel here and beach is also shift from public to private only for hotel people. There was nothing near the lifeboat stop in older plan but nowadays, there is the cafes and shops here. The location of Fishing boat is changed to marina private yachts and marina yachts is now at fishing boat area. In old plan there was only one dock here but nowadays, there are 2 docks.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify several important changes, including the conversion of the disused castle into a hotel, the change from a public to a hotel-only beach, the addition of cafés and shops, and the exchange of the marina and fishing-boat areas. However, the overview is too general: “There are few differences” does not summarise the main overall transformation, and the response omits other notable changes, such as the added facilities and altered dock arrangement. Some details are inaccurate or unclear: the map shows an additional jetty and two boats at the dock, not “2 docks,” and the claim about three links to the main road and a south-eastern car park is not supported by the plan. Select and describe the main changes more precisely.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response has a basic sequence, moving from general differences to changes in the south-east, then the hotel and beach, facilities, and water areas. This gives the reader some organisation, and phrases such as “in 2000” and “nowadays” help signal comparison. However, the ideas are presented as one continuous block, with no clear paragraphing or developed overview. Several sentences are joined in a list-like way, and repeated “now” and “there was” patterns make progression mechanical. References such as “here” and “this” are not always precise. Group the changes into clear paragraphs—for example, land use and facilities, then harbour activity—and use varied, accurate linking expressions to make comparisons easier to follow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant map vocabulary, including “main road,” “lifeboat,” “marina,” “private,” and “converted,” so the reader can understand many of the changes. However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which reduces precision. “2 links” is vague for describing road connections, “2 docks” mislabels the change shown, and “hotel people” is an informal, unclear way to refer to hotel guests. There are also spelling errors in “Habrbour” and “cafes,” and the phrase “marina private yachts” needs a more natural form. Aim for precise terms such as “access roads,” “an additional jetty,” and “hotel guests,” and check spelling and collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt both simple statements and longer comparisons, and the main message is generally understandable. However, sentence structures are limited, and errors in agreement, articles, tense, and sentence construction occur repeatedly. For example, “2 links which is connected” has a plural subject with a singular verb, while “there are three links that is connected” repeats this agreement problem. “The castle disused” is missing a grammatical link, and “beach is also shift” uses an incorrect verb form. The sentence beginning “The location of Fishing boat is changed…” also needs clearer parallel structure. Practise accurate past-versus-present comparisons, such as “The marina was replaced by fishing boats in the northern basin, while the marina moved south,” and check articles and subject–verb agreement.
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