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 two maps illustrate how porth harbour changed from year 2000 to present time.

Overall, the area become much more modern and developed. Many new buildings were constructed and several new facilities such as cafe and shops open.

In the year 2000, the area was mostly undeveloped. To the North, there was a public beach and dock. While in centre there was a passanger farries and fishing boat. There were only a few block on west side showers and toilets, car park and marine private yachts. The whole area was surrounded public beach.

On the other hand, many chnages had taken place.The west side there is two showers and toilets built for people. A new cafe and shops were open beside the road area.

They change the place for fishing boats and marina private yachts. Moreover, they replace the castle and constructed hotel and the beach closed to that hotel is now only for hotel members.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You provide an overview that identifies the harbour’s general development and mention several important changes, including the new cafés and shops, the relocation of the marina and fishing boats, and the hotel replacing the castle. These points are relevant and broadly match the maps. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the harbour was not “surrounded [by] public beach”; the north-eastern public beach remains, while the southern beach becomes private. The description of the 2000 layout also confuses the locations of the passenger ferries and fishing boats, and the changes to the dock are omitted. To make the account more complete and precise, compare the two layouts systematically and report the key changes in facilities and access, rather than relying on broad statements such as “much more modern.”

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, a description of the earlier map, and a paragraph about changes today. This gives the reader a coherent overall route through the information. Some linking is effective, particularly “Overall” and “On the other hand,” but the contrast marker does not always clarify the relationship between the details that follow. Within paragraphs, ideas are sometimes listed without clear spatial or chronological connections; for example, the 2000 description moves from the north to the centre and then west, while the present-day paragraph shifts between facilities and land-use changes. Grouping changes by location or by type, and using clearer references such as “in the southern basin” or “by contrast,” would make progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant map vocabulary, including “public beach,” “dock,” “car park,” “fishing boats,” and “private yachts,” and you attempt to describe development with phrases such as “new facilities” and “constructed hotel.” This gives you enough vocabulary to communicate the main subject. However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, including “passanger farries,” “chnages,” “marine” for “marina,” and “cafe” where the map shows cafés. Some expressions are also imprecise or unnatural, such as “the beach closed to that hotel” and “only for hotel members.” Aim for accurate map labels and more precise change language, such as “was converted into,” “was relocated to,” and “reserved for hotel guests.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast beginning “While in centre…” and the sentence describing the castle’s replacement. The main changes are generally understandable, but grammatical control is uneven. Examples include “the area become” instead of “the area became,” “many new buildings were constructed and several new facilities … open,” and “The west side there is two showers,” where tense, sentence structure, and subject–verb agreement need attention. Articles and prepositions are also missing in phrases such as “in centre” and “surrounded public beach.” Use consistent past tense for 2000 and present tense for today, and check that each sentence has a clear subject and correctly formed verb.

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

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