Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-14

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The maps below show the centre of a small town called Islip as it is now, and plans for its development.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.0)

The maps illustrate the centre of a small town called islip as it is now, and plans for its development.

Overall, it is noticeable that firstly, now they decided to construct dual carriageway because now there us only one clear road passing from school. At last, they also decided to utilize the area od country side by constructing shopping centre and bus station and many more favourable things.

It is evident that they palnned to built dual carriageway, transforming the countryside area in to several places such as bus station, shopping centre, car park and new housing location at the north side and main road is cleared and this place is only for pedestrians and also they decided to make park besides the new housing.

A closer look reveals that now there is only one main road for all the people for crossing but in planned development they decided to construct dual carriageway and also road only for pedestrians.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the broad changes, including the planned dual carriageway, pedestrian-only street, shopping centre, bus station and car park. However, the response only partially summarises the maps: it omits important details such as the southern shops remaining, the reduced park, and the school and some housing staying outside the loop. The overview is also unclear and includes an unsupported claim that the countryside is being used for the new facilities; the map shows these replacing the northern shops and countryside area, but the changes need to be described more precisely. The response contains 142 words, below the 150-word minimum; 17 words copied from the prompt were excluded. Add accurate comparisons and explain the main changes more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has separate paragraphs and moves from an introduction to an overview and then to details, so there is some basic organisation. However, progression is limited because the final paragraph repeats the contrast between the existing main road and the planned pedestrian route without adding much information. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “It is evident,” and “A closer look reveals” are used, but the relationships between ideas are not always clear; for example, “At last” does not appropriately introduce planned changes. The overview also combines several points in a long sentence, making the information difficult to follow. Group the changes by location or by what is retained and replaced, and use clear, accurate links between those points.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant map vocabulary, including “dual carriageway,” “shopping centre,” “bus station,” “car park,” and “pedestrians,” which helps communicate the general subject. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “one clear road,” “favourable things,” and “construct … location.” Spelling errors, including “islip,” “countryside” written as “country side,” and “palnned,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise terms for map features and changes, such as “existing main road,” “facilities,” and “new housing.” Proofreading spelling and choosing natural collocations would make the description clearer and more suitable for an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and longer sentences, and the main message is generally understandable. However, the longer constructions are often faulty, and errors occur frequently. For example, “there us only one clear road” has an incorrect verb form, while “they decided to construct dual carriageway” is missing an article. The sentence beginning “It is evident that they palnned…” also joins several ideas without clear grammatical control, and “this place is only for pedestrians” has an unclear reference. Use accurate past and future forms to distinguish the current map from the plan, and divide long sentences into shorter comparisons. Check articles, verb forms, and punctuation when editing.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.