Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-06
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 maps illustrate the expected structural developments and modernizations of Islip town between now and its planned development.
Overall, the town will be transitioned from a residential layout to a more commercial layout. This is primarily evidenced by a construction of new bus station, shopping centre, car park and new housing. Followed by the conversion of the main road to pedestrians only road and a modernized dual carriageway.
At present, the upper northern side of main road features prominent shops, which will be removed.
Inland infrastructure will be expanded aggressively with the construction of new bus station,shopping centre, car parking and new housing at the place of shops on the upper northern centre. A dual carriageway will be constructed at both direction covering all the inland structures. Furthermore, the park situated at the south eastern side will be reduced, conversely housing will be shifted from the centre to the left and a new howsiung area will be contructed in front of the park.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the maps, such as the new bus station, shopping centre, and the pedestrianisation of the main road. However, the description of the spatial changes is sometimes confusing. For instance, stating that housing will be shifted 'to the left' is vague without clear reference points. While the overview identifies the shift from residential to commercial, the report lacks a clear, comparative structure that would help the reader visualise the transition. The inclusion of specific details like the dual carriageway is good, but the overall summary could be more precise in its reporting of the spatial layout changes.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. While there is a logical progression, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical. Phrases like 'Followed by' at the start of a sentence are grammatically incomplete and disrupt the flow. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the mention of 'inland infrastructure' and 'both direction', which makes the spatial relationships difficult to follow. Paragraphing is present, but the internal cohesion within the paragraphs could be improved by using more varied linking words to connect the proposed changes to the existing layout.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, using terms like 'modernizations', 'structural developments', and 'pedestrianisation'. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'howsiung' and 'contructed', and some awkward collocations like 'inland infrastructure' and 'at both direction'. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, but the lack of precision in describing the map features limits the score. To reach a higher band, you should focus on more accurate terminology for map descriptions and ensure consistent spelling throughout the response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity, such as 'a construction of new bus station' (missing articles) and 'pedestrians only road' (incorrect adjective form). The sentence 'Followed by the conversion of the main road to pedestrians only road and a modernized dual carriageway' is a fragment. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors, particularly with articles and prepositions, prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. More attention to sentence boundaries and basic grammatical accuracy is needed.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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