Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-20
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 known as lslip. The maps are shown in present condition and for its development in future.
Overall, the structure of the lslip town centre will be more customer service oriented with new facilities. School seems to be unchanged in future development.
In today's structure of lslip town centre has a massive housing area in southern direction of map between the school and park which will be transformed into smaller areas with new housing along the main road below the new housing in southern region of the map. In northern part there are countryside and shop which can be seen as bus station, shopping centre, car park, additional new housing in future development planning.
Furthermore, the main road between the shops will be pedestrians only in future planned development with big shops below it. Dual carriageway will be available in west-south road.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers the main features of the maps, such as the changes to housing, the introduction of a pedestrianized area, and the new transport facilities. However, the description is somewhat disjointed and lacks precision in spatial referencing. For example, the phrase 'main road below the new housing in southern region' is confusing, and the summary of the northern area is cluttered. While the main trends are identified, the comparison between the current and future states could be more clearly structured to highlight the transformation effectively. The overview is present but lacks a clear synthesis of the most significant changes.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the progression of ideas within paragraphs is sometimes unclear. The use of cohesive devices is limited and occasionally mechanical, such as the repetitive use of 'in future development' and 'in the map'. Referencing is sometimes ambiguous, making it difficult for the reader to track the specific locations being described. For instance, the transition between the housing changes and the northern developments feels abrupt. Improved use of linking words and clearer spatial signposting would enhance the flow significantly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There is some repetition of basic terms like 'housing', 'map', and 'structure'. While the student attempts to describe the changes, the word choice is often imprecise, such as 'customer service oriented' to describe a town plan, which is not the most natural collocation. There are also minor errors in word formation and usage, such as 'in western-south road' instead of 'on the south-western road'. Expanding the range of descriptive vocabulary would improve the quality of the report.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include missing articles ('in northern part', 'between the shops'), incorrect preposition usage ('in southern direction of map'), and awkward phrasing ('The maps are shown in present condition'). Subject-verb agreement and tense consistency are also problematic, particularly when discussing future plans. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher level of accuracy. Focusing on basic sentence construction and article usage would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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