Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-23
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 given below illustrate the centre of a small town called Islip. The first map shows, as it looks now and the second one shows the plans for its development.
The initial illustration represents the current layout of the Islip town centre and the second illustrations proposes, a more advanced layout to develop the town centre. A number of changes are made or added to increase activity and comfort.
The developed Layout shows that, a new road track would be introduced connecting the whole centre. A seperate area will be created for the dual carriageways, New housings will be created to accomodate more people and lastly, A shopping centre along with a bus station and car park will also be created.
Many changes are expected to be made. However, the School and its area remains unchanged along with old housing and shops. The country side will be demloished. The park area will remain same but it's area will be decreased.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| 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 new road, housing, and shopping centre. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For example, the description of the 'country side' being demolished is inaccurate based on the visual evidence, which shows the removal of green space for development rather than the demolition of the countryside itself. Additionally, the report lacks a clear overview or summary of the most significant changes, which is a requirement for a high band score in Task 1. The information is presented as a list of changes rather than a cohesive summary of the town's transformation.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes awkward, such as the repetitive use of 'and' and 'also'. The transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is abrupt. While there is a logical progression from the current state to the future plans, the internal cohesion within paragraphs is weak. For instance, the second paragraph starts with 'The developed Layout shows that, a new road...', where the comma usage and phrasing disrupt the flow of information.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several spelling errors, such as 'seperate' (separate), 'accomodate' (accommodate), and 'demloished' (demolished). The range of vocabulary is limited to basic descriptive terms like 'new', 'created', and 'changed'. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise terminology related to urban planning, such as 'pedestrianised', 'infrastructure', 'expansion', or 'redevelopment'. The current lexical range is sufficient to communicate the main points but does not demonstrate the flexibility required for higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in punctuation and grammar. For example, the unnecessary comma in 'proposes, a more advanced layout' and 'shows that, a new road' hinders readability. Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent, such as 'The country side will be demloished' and 'The park area will remain same'. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and punctuation prevent the response from reaching a higher band. You should focus on proofreading for basic sentence construction and comma placement.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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