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 diagram shows changes in the plan of the Porth Harbour plan from 2000 to till today.
Overall, there are many significant changes observed over the years , Mainly new hotels,cafes and shops were developed and the position of
The structural changes observed are ,Unused Castle in the south-east was reconstructed as a hotel and the public beach in the south-east is now private beach specially for the hotel.Cafes and shops are developed in the south of the beach beside the road.Dock in the north east is upgraded to two Docks.
The position change observed are ,Fishing boats area is swaped with private yachts marina.
and the connection is established to car park in south-west from m aoi
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
You identify several important changes, including the castle becoming a hotel, the southern beach becoming private, and the fishing-boat and marina areas switching places. However, the overview is unfinished (“the position of”), and the report covers only a small part of the plans, so the main changes are not fully summarised. Some details are inaccurate or unclear: the cafés and shops are beside the road near the lifeboat station, not “in the south of the beach,” and the northern dock has an additional jetty and two boats rather than “two Docks.” The response is also 32 words below the required minimum. To develop the report, complete the overview and describe other key changes, such as the added facilities and the relocation of the fishing boats to the northern basin.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a basic overall structure: an opening, an attempted overview, and a paragraph describing changes. This gives the reader some sense of how the information is organised. However, the overview stops mid-sentence, and the final line is incomplete, so the progression breaks down. The labels “The structural changes observed are” and “The position change observed are” create a list-like structure rather than a connected comparison. The isolated “and” at the start of the final line also does not link ideas clearly. Use complete paragraphs and connect related changes with clear sequencing, for example by grouping changes to facilities, water areas, and the southern shoreline.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use some relevant vocabulary for describing a harbour plan, including “reconstructed,” “private beach,” “position,” and “marina.” These terms show an attempt to report changes rather than simply name map features. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “swaped” is misspelled, “two Docks” misnames the change, and “connection is established to car park” is unclear and does not describe the plans precisely. “Changes in the plan of the … plan” is also repetitive. Choose precise map vocabulary and collocations, such as “the marina was relocated,” “an additional jetty was added,” and “facilities were provided.” Proofread spelling and avoid repeating the same general terms when a specific feature name is available.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response attempts a few different sentence forms, including a general opening and sentences describing changes, but the range is limited and errors are frequent enough to make some parts difficult to follow. For example, “there are many significant changes observed” has an awkward structure, while “The structural changes observed are” is not followed by a well-formed sentence. The overview ends with “the position of,” and the final clause, “and the connection is established to car park,” is incomplete or unclear. Tense and article use also need attention when comparing past and present plans. Practise writing complete past-to-present comparisons, such as “The castle was replaced by a hotel, while the beach became private.”
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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