Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-03

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)

Th given maps depicts the various changes that will be ,and in the Islip town center after development .It is evident that all the given changes will be made too make this place more organised .

To Embark with , it is noticeable that after the redesign park and school will remain same. Later a lot of development will be done in the middle of the town center housing will be relocated at the south east direction and named as new housing as well as near the school housing will be made. The above shops before the redesign will now be only one shop and instead of that only pedestrians will be constructed. A new dual carriageway will be made in the south direction . The major changes will be made is the town center above the pedestrians have partitioned into three new things which are bus station , shopping center, car park,. It is clear that the Islip town center will be totally changed after planned development .

Overall , it is apparent that all the amendment will be made to make this town center people friendly .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the maps, such as the new dual carriageway, the pedestrianization of the high street, and the new facilities in the town center. However, the description is somewhat confusing and lacks precision. For example, stating that the shops will be 'partitioned into three new things' is vague and does not accurately describe the spatial layout. While the main changes are identified, the comparison between the current and future states could be more clearly structured to help the reader visualize the transformation. The overview is present but lacks a clear summary of the most significant changes.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow of ideas is often disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is sometimes awkward or misused, such as 'To Embark with' instead of 'To begin with' or 'To start with'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when describing the location of the new housing and the layout of the town center. While the progression of information is generally logical, the mechanical nature of the transitions and the lack of clear signposting between the different areas of the map hinder the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. There are several instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'amendment' to describe urban development and 'things' to describe the new facilities. The student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'dual carriageway' and 'pedestrians', but the overall range is narrow. Spelling errors, such as 'Th' instead of 'The' and 'too' instead of 'to', are present. To reach a higher band, the student needs to use a wider range of precise, academic vocabulary related to urban planning and map description.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with sentence structure, such as the fragmented opening sentence and the run-on sentence in the second paragraph. Punctuation is inconsistent, with unnecessary commas and missing periods. The use of passive voice is attempted but often results in awkward phrasing, such as 'the major changes will be made is the town center'. The student relies mostly on simple sentence structures, and attempts at more complex sentences are often marred by errors in subject-verb agreement and word order.

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