Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-26

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 given diagram demonstrates the site of Islip town in the present time and proposed changes in the near future.

Overall, it is evident that the site is aimed from countryside area to enhance residential area and modernisation. the new houses, bus station, dual bridgeway will be constructed, while preserving some old activities.

In the present time, in the northern side, the shops and main road has been constructed, where the shopping centre is proposed to build; And the car park will be equipped with the centre. Immediately to the western side of the shopping Centre the bus station is predicted to be built. In the north-east corner, the new accommodation area will be constructed.

Since, this area will have been re-developed, dual bridgeway around the whole town is predicted to be manufactured. Notably, the shops and the road for only pedestrians will be added in the middle of the Town centre. Finally, the school and housing area will remain unchanged

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the maps, identifying the key changes such as the new shopping centre, bus station, and dual carriageway. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, analytical overview. While the main features are reported, the comparison between the 'present' and 'future' states could be more precise. For instance, the mention of 'preserving some old activities' is vague, and the description of the 'dual bridgeway' (likely a dual carriageway) is slightly inaccurate in its terminology. The response meets the requirements of the task but lacks the depth of analysis required for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, moving from an overview to specific details. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or awkward, such as 'Since, this area will have been re-developed' and 'Immediately to the western side'. The transition between ideas is functional but lacks fluidity. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction/overview from the body paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of the information. Referencing is generally clear, though some sentence structures feel disjointed.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks sophistication. There are instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'bridgeway' instead of 'carriageway' or 'road', and 'manufactured' instead of 'constructed' or 'built'. The phrase 'aimed from countryside area to enhance residential area' is unnatural and unclear. While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary, the lack of precision and occasional awkward collocations limit the score. A wider range of precise, academic vocabulary would be necessary to reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'the site is aimed from countryside area', 'the shops and main road has been constructed' (subject-verb agreement), and 'proposed to build' (passive voice error). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary capitalisation ('Town') and awkward comma usage. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevent the writing from reaching a higher level of accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.