Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-02

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)

The main development i have seen here is dual carriageway that it helps people to reach every place in the islip town very easily and also the division of the places for everything and what's impressed me that construction of the bus station and allocating the place for car park and also increasing the area for the new housing and then if we can talk about the road way towards school ends after the school but now planned development map shows the correct pass way after reaching the school actually it helps for the people those who comes to the school and finally the development of the area helps people for the self growth too , before development no place is getting particular separate route towards the locations but now after the development every place has its own way to reach the places and finally what I am saying is the development changes the Islip town very beautiful

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response identifies some key features of the maps, such as the dual carriageway, bus station, and housing. However, it fails to meet the requirements of an Academic Task 1 report. The tone is overly subjective and informal (e.g., 'what's impressed me'), which is inappropriate for this task. Furthermore, the response lacks a clear overview or a structured comparison of the two maps. It reads more like a personal commentary than an objective summary of visual data. To improve, you must focus on describing the changes objectively and organizing the information into clear paragraphs (Introduction, Overview, and Details).

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is written as a single, long paragraph, which makes it difficult to follow. There is a lack of logical progression; the ideas are presented in a stream-of-consciousness style rather than being grouped by theme or location. Cohesive devices are either missing or used incorrectly, such as the repetitive use of 'and' and 'finally' to connect unrelated points. To achieve a higher score, you should use clear paragraphing to separate your overview from your detailed descriptions and employ a wider range of linking words (e.g., 'In contrast,' 'Furthermore,' 'Regarding the...').

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic words like 'place,' 'way,' and 'development.' There are several instances of awkward phrasing and non-standard collocations, such as 'correct pass way' and 'self growth.' The language lacks the precision required to describe maps or urban planning effectively. To improve, you should learn specific vocabulary related to map descriptions, such as 'pedestrianized,' 'relocated,' 'expanded,' or 'infrastructure.' You should also avoid using personal opinions or emotive language, as this is not appropriate for an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response consists of a few very long, run-on sentences that lack proper punctuation. There are frequent grammatical errors, including missing articles (e.g., 'is dual carriageway'), subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'people those who comes'), and incorrect word order. The range of structures is very limited, consisting mostly of simple or poorly connected clauses. To improve, focus on using shorter, clearer sentences and ensure you use articles correctly. You should also practice using complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses or passive voice, which are essential for describing changes in a formal context.

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