Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

The maps illustrates the comparsion of porth harbour in 2000 and how it looks today.

Overall, there have occured many positive changed and many old places have been demolished to replace with new ones.

In the north west part of map, we can see marine (private yatch) and fishing boats which is exactly being exachanged today. Alongside, shower and toilets are added above the car park. Cafe is built at northern part of road to increase tourist attraction.

However,boats are added on both sides of dock and the castle that was disu

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.0
Coherence and Cohesion4.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall4.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the two maps and mention several relevant changes, including the exchange of the marina and fishing-boat areas, the added café, and boats at the dock. However, the response is incomplete and reports only a small selection of the main features; it ends mid-sentence at “the castle that was disu…”, so the hotel and the change from a public to a private beach are not explained. The overview that there were “many positive changed” is vague and does not clearly summarise the harbour’s main transformation. The response is also 84 words, 66 below the required minimum of 150. Develop a complete overview and describe the key changes in both the northern and southern parts of the harbour.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening sentence, an overview beginning “Overall,” and a paragraph describing changes in the north-west. “However” also signals a contrast. These features give the short response some structure, but the progression is limited because the account stops abruptly during the final point and does not group the changes into a complete comparison of the two maps. The reference in “which is exactly being exchanged today” is also not fully clear about which facilities have changed places. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and the main changes, then sequence details by area or by what was added, relocated, or replaced. Complete sentences and clearer linking would make the comparison easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “harbour,” “dock,” “car park,” and “private yacht,” and phrases such as “added” and “built” help describe changes. However, the range is limited, and several inaccurate or misspelled forms make the description less clear: “comparsion,” “marine” for “marina,” “yatch,” “exachanged,” and “disu…” (unfinished). “Positive changed” is also an imprecise phrase for describing map developments. Aim for accurate map vocabulary and varied verbs such as “relocated,” “replaced,” and “converted.” Check spelling carefully, especially for labels copied from the map, and choose neutral language rather than judging changes as positive unless the task supports that evaluation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response includes a few basic sentence patterns, such as “The maps illustrates…” and “Cafe is built…,” and the overall meaning of some points can be understood. However, grammatical control is inconsistent: “maps illustrates” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “there have occured many positive changed” contains problems with verb form and the noun phrase. The sentence “which is exactly being exachanged today” is also awkwardly constructed, and the final sentence is incomplete. Most structures are simple, with little evidence of accurate complex sentences. Practise forming clear past-to-present comparisons, for example, “The marina was moved to the southern basin, while fishing boats now occupy its former location.” Check agreement, articles, and verb forms before finishing.

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

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