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 plan overviews a comparison of porth harbour between 2000 and the present day.

Major changes are noticed between two mentioned time such as new showers & toilets next to car park, marina (private yachts) and fishing boats are replaced with each other, the dock view is changed, new cafes & shops are added next to lifeboat, the public beach near the castle is converted into private beach due to establishment of hotel instead of castle.

The castle was totally unused in 2000, so the place is converted into a hotel, so people can use this for recreation and the public beach, attached to the hotel, is now used for the customers of the hotel. People, who go for lifeboat or hotel, can get foods or other products from the new cafes & shops which were absent in 2000. People who park cars at both car parking area now can use the showers & toilets near the carpark. Now it gives them great relief because they had only one toilets in 2000 and it was not comfortable for them. The fishing boats need to be near main road and cafes & shops, so it can be sold easily. So the switching of fishing boats and marina is reasonable. The new construction of dock is possibly arranged a new place for ferries standing. These changes are really meaningful for the harbour.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify several major changes, including the exchange of the marina and fishing-boat areas, the addition of cafés and shops, and the replacement of the disused castle with a hotel and private beach. These are relevant and show a reasonable understanding of the plans. However, some important details are missing or unclear: for example, the dock gains an additional jetty and has two boats, and the public beach to the north-east remains unchanged. The response also adds explanations not shown on the maps, such as why the fishing boats were moved and how visitors benefit. Focus on describing observable changes and give a concise overview of the main transformations; some features are covered more fully than others.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall structure, moving from a summary of changes to further comments about particular facilities. Linking expressions such as “so” and “because” help show relationships between ideas. However, the progression is weakened by mixing map description with speculation about the reasons for changes and their benefits. The second paragraph lists several changes in one long sentence, while the final paragraph shifts between the hotel, cafés, parking, fishing boats and dock without a clear grouping. Organise the report into a brief overview followed by paragraphs comparing the northern harbour facilities and the southern area. Use references such as “the southern beach” clearly, and avoid repeating the same change in different forms.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “marina,” “fishing boats,” “lifeboat,” “private beach” and “establishment of hotel,” so the reader can follow the main subject. There is also some variety in how changes are described, such as “converted into” and “replaced.” However, several choices are awkward or imprecise: “the plan overviews a comparison,” “the dock view is changed,” and “get foods or other products” do not sound natural in this context. “Both car parking area” and “one toilets” also show difficulty with accurate forms. Prefer precise map-reporting language, such as “the plans compare,” “the dock was modified,” and “visitors can use the facilities.” Avoid informal or unsupported evaluative wording such as “great relief” and “meaningful.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including clauses with “because,” “so” and “who,” and the main message is generally understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with articles, agreement and sentence construction. For example, “between two mentioned time” needs a plural time expression, while “one toilets” has a mismatch between the number and noun. In “the public beach, attached to the hotel, is now used for the customers,” the phrasing creates an unclear relationship between the beach and hotel. The sentence beginning “The fishing boats need to be near main road” also presents an unsupported claim as fact. Use consistent past and present forms to compare the two plans, and check articles and singular/plural agreement when editing.

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

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