Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-30

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 plans below illustrate the structure that how it looked in 2000 and how it looks today.

Looking at the earlier figure of porth harbour, at the north-west side showers and toilets were provided and just near that car park was constructed twice which was connected by the main road. furthermore, fishing boats area was constructed just near to car park. Moreover, at south-east side castle was made which was disused by public. In addition, at north side dock and public beach area was created whre people could get over from boat.

looking at the today's structure, marina was replaced by fishing boats area. Furthermore, another showers and toilets area were provided at near to south's car park area. Additionally, cafes and shops were created at the end of the road. In addition, the length of dock are was doubled, compare with in 2000 and castle was replaced by hotel.

In conclusion, there are numerous changes happened compare with 2000. Marina was replaced by fishing boats area and castle was reconstructed by hotel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important changes, including the replacement of the castle by a hotel, the relocation of the fishing boats and marina, and the addition of cafés and shops. However, the account is only partial: it does not clearly explain that the marina moved to the southern basin while fishing boats moved into its former northern basin, and it omits notable changes such as the extra jetty and the hotel’s private beach. Some details are inaccurate or unclear: the castle is described as “disused by public,” whereas it is labelled disused, and the dock’s length is not shown as doubled. The overview is also repetitive rather than a clear summary of the main transformations. Select the major changes accurately and compare the two plans explicitly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from the 2000 plan to today and ending with a conclusion. This gives the reader a basic overall progression, and linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “Moreover,” and “In addition” help signal added information. However, these connectors are used mechanically, and the conclusion repeats points already stated rather than synthesising the changes. The first paragraph also combines several locations and developments in a way that makes their relationships difficult to follow—for example, the car parks, road and fishing-boat area are not clearly distinguished. Organise the description by area or by major change, and use clearer references such as “the northern basin” and “the southern basin” to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant map vocabulary, including “marina,” “fishing boats,” “dock,” “car park,” and “castle,” so the topic is generally identifiable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the description unclear. For example, “the structure that how it looked” is awkward, “castle was reconstructed by hotel” does not accurately describe replacement, and “the length of dock are was doubled” is not a suitable way to report the change shown. There are also spelling and form errors such as “whre” and “today’s structure.” Build a more precise set of verbs for map changes—such as “relocated,” “replaced,” “added,” and “remained”—and check collocations and spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the reader can usually recognise the intended comparison between the two plans. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, with frequent errors in sentence construction, tense, agreement, articles and prepositions. For instance, “The plans below illustrate the structure that how it looked” combines incompatible structures, while “the length of dock are doubled” has problems with the article, agreement and tense. The opening description also shifts between past forms such as “were provided” and “was constructed” without consistently expressing the map’s features. Use a reliable pattern such as “In 2000, X was located…” and “Today, it has been replaced by…”; then check each sentence for a clear subject and correctly matched verb.

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

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