Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-04

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 6.0)

The maps illustrate the changes that took place from year 2000 and till this day.

Overall it can be seen that port harbour has undergone significant developments the major changes which can be seen are the construction of the new cafes shops, and hotels side by side there are new private facilities added for tourists moreover the castle is now replaced by a hotel while many other things are unchanged.

In the year 2000 port harbour the western side consisted of marina yachts along side fishing boats. There were also car parks at the south showers and toilets. However now development can be seen as there are now additional showers and toilets besides the car park. Furthermore marina area is re located and fishing boats remain in the same sector.

On the other hand at the eastern side there was a single dock for the boats but now it has been integrated and there are two docks and passenger ferry is still remains the same when we go down to the south there used to be a disused castle which now has been replaced with hotel which has a private beach along its west now there are new cafe shops made besides the road.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the broad transformation from a harbour to a more tourist-oriented site, noting the hotel, cafés and shops, and added facilities. You also attempt comparisons between the two plans. However, some key details are inaccurate or unclear: fishing boats did not remain in the same sector, but moved from the southern basin to the northern dock basin, while the marina moved in the opposite direction. The dock was not simply “integrated” into two docks; it gained an additional jetty and has two boats. The overview also says many things are unchanged without specifying the important retained features, such as the north-eastern public beach and main road. This covers the task, but some comparisons need fuller and more precise reporting.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a recognisable progression: an overview is followed by descriptions of the western area and then the eastern and southern areas. This gives the reader a basic route through the maps, and linking expressions such as “Overall,” “However,” and “Furthermore” help signal relationships. At times, though, the connections are mechanical or unclear. For example, “On the other hand” does not establish a clear contrast, and the final sentence joins several locations and changes without clear boundaries. Paragraphing is present but the information within paragraphs could be grouped more consistently by location or by change. Use shorter, clearly punctuated sentences and explicit comparisons to make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a relevant range of map vocabulary, including “construction,” “facilities,” “replaced,” and “relocated,” and the general meaning is usually understandable. There are also attempts at more specific terms, such as “private facilities” and “disused castle.” However, some choices are imprecise or awkward: “integrated” does not clearly describe the dock’s change, and “marina yachts” is less accurate than the map’s “marina for private yachts.” Phrases such as “cafes shops” and “side by side” also lack natural collocation or clear meaning in context. Aim for precise location and change vocabulary, and check spelling and word forms, including “cafés” and “relocated,” to make the description more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “while” and “which,” but control is uneven. Errors in tense, agreement, articles and sentence boundaries sometimes make the relationships between changes difficult to follow. For example, “from year 2000 and till this day” has an inaccurate time construction, and “passenger ferry is still remains the same” combines incompatible verb forms. The long sentence beginning “On the other hand” also needs clearer punctuation and clause structure. Practise accurate past-to-present comparisons, such as “Fishing boats were in the southern basin in 2000, but are now in the northern basin,” and use full stops to separate distinct map features.

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