Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-07-30

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 5.5)

This maps illustrate the small city center that called Islip also have two different view before and after development.

This small town have development planned that exceeds the number of facilities in North, west and south side of Islip.

First, if we explore the north side there a lot of changes created like facility of bus station for the people, New housing society at countryside, car parking area for drivers and developed shopping center at the place of shops also replaced because shops shifted in front of shopping mall there local products also available for customers who can do shopping by walk.

One more housing society built at the housing side in south.

This town covered by a main road where from people easily moved all around in society and mall.

In contrast, new developed places useful for city community and society they can easily reach to other side by using bus that will move around the Islip.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the task by describing the changes in Islip. However, the overview is weak and lacks a clear summary of the most significant trends, such as the overall expansion of residential and commercial facilities. While the main features are identified, the description is somewhat disorganized and lacks a clear comparison between the 'now' and 'future' states. The report focuses on listing changes rather than synthesizing the information into a coherent summary. To improve, ensure you provide a clear overview in the introduction and group features logically (e.g., residential vs. commercial) rather than just listing them by compass direction.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response lacks clear paragraphing, which makes the progression of ideas difficult to follow. While there is an attempt to use cohesive devices like 'First' and 'In contrast', the connection between sentences is often mechanical or unclear. The referencing is sometimes ambiguous, such as 'the housing side in south', which does not clearly link back to the map features. The overall structure is fragmented, and the lack of distinct paragraphs for the introduction, overview, and body details hinders the logical flow of the report. Improving the use of transition signals and organizing the text into clear paragraphs would significantly enhance coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, relying on basic terms like 'facility', 'place', and 'side'. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'housing society' (which is not standard in this context) and 'by walk'. The range of vocabulary is just sufficient to convey the basic meaning, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using more specific terminology related to urban planning, such as 'residential zones', 'commercial infrastructure', 'pedestrianized areas', or 'peripheral development', and ensure collocations are natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. There are issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'This maps illustrate', 'This small town have'), article usage, and sentence structure. Many sentences are run-on or lack necessary punctuation, making them difficult to parse. While there is an attempt at complex structures, they are often faulty, leading to confusion. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring subject-verb agreement, and using articles correctly. Reducing the number of errors in simple sentences should be the priority before attempting more complex grammatical forms.

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