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 below represent a harbour in year 2000 and how it really looks today.
Overall, porth harbour in todays date have really developed in some parts of the harbour compared to old one, features like new dock, extra showers and toilet, development of hotels and cafe and shops and the other parts of the area like public beach , roads etc which reamais the same.
According to the diagram, north side of the harbour from 2000 to todays date which includes some major changes features like, an extra parking dock for the passengers ferries at the public beach and also change in the position of marina(private yachts) with fishing boats area which really creates a big parking space for the private yatch.
it can be clearly observed that, south side of the port harbour have some major changes from year 2000 to till date, featues like cafe and shops havs developed for the tourist neat the marine which has the sea view and the castle has converted into hotel with a private beach for the hotel which was earleir a public beach.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify several important changes, including the relocation of the marina and fishing boats, the addition of cafés and shops, and the conversion of the castle into a hotel with a private beach. The overview also recognises that some features remain unchanged. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: there is no “extra parking dock” for passenger ferries, and the dock gains an additional jetty rather than a parking area. The north-east public beach is not described as changing, while the new facilities and the lifeboat area are not clearly located. To make the summary more complete and precise, compare the two plans systematically and distinguish additions, relocations, and unchanged features.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a recognisable structure: an overview followed by paragraphs about the northern and southern parts of the harbour. This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and phrases such as “According to the diagram” and “it can be clearly observed” signal transitions. However, the progression is sometimes difficult to follow because several changes are packed into long sentences, and the north–south division does not always match the features being discussed. For example, the sentence about the “extra parking dock” combines the beach, ferries, marina, fishing boats, and parking. Use shorter sentences and organise details by clear categories, such as relocated facilities, new developments, and features that remain unchanged.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use some relevant map vocabulary, including “harbour,” “marina,” “private beach,” and “converted into hotel,” so the main topic is generally clear. There is also an attempt to describe change with phrases such as “developed” and “change in the position.” However, several word choices are imprecise or unnatural, sometimes making the map details hard to interpret: “parking dock” does not accurately describe the new jetty, and “creates a big parking space for the private yacht” misrepresents the marina. Spelling errors such as “reamais,” “yatch,” and “featues” are noticeable. Build a more precise set of verbs for map changes and check spelling and collocations carefully.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a contrast between the harbour in 2000 and today. However, control is inconsistent, and errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction sometimes make the meaning difficult to follow. For example, “the diagram below represent” needs subject–verb agreement, while “harbour … have really developed” also has an agreement problem. The phrase “in todays date have” combines an incorrect time expression with an unsuitable verb form, and “the castle has converted into hotel” needs a passive construction and an article. Practise accurate present and past forms for map descriptions, and divide long sentences into shorter, complete clauses.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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