Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-29

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 pictorial views of Porth Harbour from two different times (2000 and today) reflects the basic differences of then and now.

In 2000, the Harbour was simpler than now. There is an additional dock situated just beside another which is the new addition. So, previously two ferries could have carried out passengers but nowadays the numbers of ferries increase in three. Also there was only one showers and toilets beside the north faced car park in 2000 while today, one more places for showers and toilets just behind the another car parking side situated in southern part.

There are some new addition in today's map to describe which is not mentioned in 2000s' map. There are some Cafes and shops just beside the Lifeboat section which is directed from the main road straight toward to south and then a sub-road go through to east faced.

Some places were not used in 2000 which is now used as Hotel situated at the left of east faced road close to the private beach. Other places are also marked for the hotel builders at the private beach side.

There is a big change which can be noticeable. Two places called Mariana (private yachts) ans Fishing boats area completely replaced each others portion today. Some places are still remain the same as like Public beach, Lifeboat, Private beach and roads.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several important changes, including the relocation of the marina and fishing-boat area, the addition of cafés and shops, and the conversion of the castle into a hotel. These details are relevant and show that you have understood much of the maps. However, the overview is not clearly separated or sufficiently precise: “the Harbour was simpler than now” is broad, and the response does not clearly summarise the main pattern of redevelopment. Some details are inaccurate or unclear. The dock has an additional jetty and two boats, not an additional dock or three ferries; the southern beach is private today, rather than a new “private beach” area for hotel builders. A clearer overview and more accurate comparisons would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a generally understandable sequence: it begins with the earlier harbour, then describes additions and replacements, and ends with features that remain. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these points. However, the progression is sometimes difficult to follow because several changes are grouped without a clear organising principle. For example, the dock and ferry comparison is followed by facilities, while the next paragraph introduces additions without clearly linking them to the previous points. References such as “another,” “which,” and “some places” are not always clear, and “Some places are still remain the same” does not specify the unchanged features accurately. Organise the report into an overview followed by location-based or change-based paragraphs, and use explicit references to each feature.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant map vocabulary, including “situated,” “replaced,” “private yachts,” and “Lifeboat,” and you attempt to describe location and change. However, word choice and collocation are often imprecise, which makes some descriptions awkward or unclear. Phrases such as “the numbers of ferries increase in three,” “north faced car park,” and “hotel builders” do not express the intended map information naturally. There are also spelling and form errors, including “Mariana” for “Marina” and “ans” for “and.” Aim for accurate, conventional terms for map changes and positions, and check spelling of labels copied from the visual. This would make your adequate range more precise and reliable.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, using time contrasts and clauses such as “which is now used as Hotel.” The main meaning is usually recoverable, but errors in agreement, tense, articles, and sentence construction occur across the response. For example, “views … reflects” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “There are some new addition” and “one more places” have number-agreement problems. “Some places are still remain” combines incompatible verb forms, and “the numbers of ferries increase” does not use a suitable tense for the comparison. Several sentences also become difficult to parse because clauses are joined loosely. Practise accurate past-versus-present forms and build shorter, controlled sentences before adding subordinate clauses.

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