Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-02

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 compare a harbour looks today and how it was in 2000.

Overall, the area remained largly unchanged, although a few modifications were made to its facilities and infrastructure.

In 2000 in porth harbour, a main road was located west side of the harbour and the road connected with a sub road which was going to the place of lifeboat, a car park was connected with the sub road. there was also another car park which is link with main road and beside the showers and toilets which were near the marina( private yatchs). A fishing boats space also located the nort side of the marina space. A public beach and dock situated the northern part of the harbour and a passanger ferries were located the centre of the port.A old unused castle were located the southeast part of the Harbour beside the public beach.

In today, the port underwent few changed the pulbic beach of southest side transfered to a private beach for hotels and unused castle changed into a hotel. A cafe and shops constructed beside the lifeboats and build a n extra dock beside the public beach. Fishing boats and marina replaced one another places and the subroad car park connect with the main road and a new showes and toilets are also constructed near the car park.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main contrast between the harbour in 2000 and today, including the hotel replacing the disused castle, the southern beach becoming private, the cafés and shops, and the exchange of the fishing-boat and marina areas. These are relevant features, and the overview recognises that changes were made. However, saying the area “remained largely unchanged” understates the redevelopment, and several details are unclear or inaccurate: the northern public beach did not move, and the extra jetty was added at the dock rather than beside the public beach. Some important changes, such as the additional facilities and the altered dock arrangement, are only briefly covered. A more precise overview and clearer reporting of the main changes would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction and overview are followed by a description of the earlier plan and then the present-day changes. This gives the reader a basic chronological progression. Within the body paragraphs, however, details are often joined in long sequences, making relationships between locations difficult to follow. For example, the sentence beginning “In 2000 in porth harbour” moves from the main road to the lifeboat, car parks, facilities and marina without clear grouping. Some linking is also mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “and” and “also.” Group features by area or by type of change, and use clearer references such as “in the northern basin” and “by contrast” to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant map vocabulary, including “main road,” “car park,” “marina,” “public beach” and “castle,” so the subject is generally clear. There are also attempts to describe change with phrases such as “replaced one another” and “changed into.” However, spelling errors and imprecise or awkward word choices reduce accuracy, including “largly,” “yatchs,” “passanger,” “sub road” and “transfered.” Some phrases are not natural for describing a plan, such as “the place of lifeboat” and “fishing boats space.” Use precise location and change vocabulary, for example “the lifeboat station,” “the fishing-boat area,” “was relocated,” and “was converted into.” Proofreading spelling would make your meaning more reliable.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, and the reader can usually understand the intended comparisons. However, grammatical control is uneven, especially in sentence construction, articles, agreement and tense. For example, “The plans compare a harbour looks today” needs a relative clause or a different structure, while “a main road was located west side” is missing a necessary article and preposition. Agreement is also problematic in “A old unused castle were located.” Several sentences run together or lack appropriate punctuation, as in the description of the northern beach and dock. Practise accurate past and present passive forms for map changes, and check each sentence for a clear subject, verb and complete location phrase.

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

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