Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-03

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 maps represents the constructive development which has more commercial and tourist places of Harbour in 2000 and today.

Overall, a comparison of two maps reveal the big transformation from undeveloped areas to developed, modern and residential areas.

By 2000, showers and toilets and two car parks along the main road in the west while, a new shower and toilets have been constructed today. Fishing boats and Marina (private yachts) remain established. In the year 2000, porth harbour only had one dock while, for the next 26 years two dock have been developed in the north. Cafes and shops have been formed with lifeboat ; meanwhile, road stayed same, public beach has been replaced by private beach for the hotel in the south area for the next 26 years. now, castle disused has been demolished and hotel build in the west

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several relevant changes, including the addition of cafés and shops, the hotel replacing the disused castle, and the southern beach becoming private. However, the overview is vague: “big transformation” does not clearly summarise the main changes, and some details are inaccurate or unclear. The marina and fishing-boat areas did not remain in place; they exchanged locations. The hotel is on the south-eastern headland, not “in the west,” and the southern beach was not a public beach in 2000 according to the plan. You also mention “two dock,” although the map shows one dock with an additional jetty today. The response is 141 words, below the required 150. Include the key relocations and describe the map locations precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic overall structure: an opening, an overview, and a paragraph describing changes. The response also uses some linking expressions, such as “Overall,” “while,” and “meanwhile.” However, the progression within the main paragraph is difficult to follow because several changes are joined in long, loosely connected sentences. For example, the sentence beginning “In the year 2000” moves from the dock to cafés, the road, the beach, and the hotel without clear grouping. Some links are also used inaccurately, and the repeated time reference “for the next 26 years” interrupts the flow. Organise the details into clear groups, such as harbour facilities and changes to the southern area, and use shorter sentences with precise references.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “car parks,” “lifeboat,” “private beach,” and “commercial and tourist places,” and you attempt to describe development rather than simply list labels. However, the range and control are limited by awkward or inaccurate word choices. “Constructive development” does not naturally describe changes to a harbour, while “formed with lifeboat” is unclear. “Two dock” and “a new shower and toilets” also show imprecise word forms or phrasing. These choices sometimes make it hard to understand exactly what changed. Use map-description vocabulary such as “was relocated,” “was converted into,” and “facilities were added,” and check that nouns and collocations accurately express the plan’s features.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, but control is inconsistent, and errors sometimes make relationships between changes difficult to follow. For example, “The maps represents” has subject–verb disagreement, while “Overall, a comparison of two maps reveal” also needs agreement and an article. The clause “showers and toilets and two car parks along the main road in the west” is incomplete, and “two dock have been developed” has a plural agreement error. Tense and sentence construction are also uneven in “castle disused has been demolished and hotel build.” Use complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, maintain past-versus-present forms consistently, and proofread articles, plurals, and agreement.

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

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