Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-28
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 provided maps depict the extensive information islip town center from year 2026 to in the upcoming time. Moreover, this report will analyze both present layouts of specified area , providing comprehensive understanding of its metamorphosis. overall, shops has experinced profound and far reaching change. The most significant has include addition of bus stop, shopping center and demolishment of shops. One interesting change is about removal of road at middle in the upcoming time; which has been replaced with pedestrians only. There is no space for shopping center but it will be constructed in the upcoming time. Another striking transformation is regarding countryside which will be knocked down to make way for shopping centerand car park. Moreover, a completely new will be dual carriageway will be constructed in the upcoming time on south west side. To expound other worth noticing transformations the school will not undergo any sort of ranovation and will remain in its oirginal position for the given time period ; Whereas, if we look at shops in year 2026. It will be planned to be demolished and suubsituated by bus station in upcoming time .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the task by identifying key changes such as the removal of the road, the addition of a shopping center, and the new dual carriageway. However, the overview is somewhat weak and lacks a clear summary of the most significant trends. The description of the 'countryside' being knocked down is inaccurate, as the map shows the removal of housing/shops, not countryside. Furthermore, the response struggles with temporal accuracy, referring to the 'upcoming time' repeatedly rather than using precise comparative language. While the main features are covered, the lack of precision in describing the spatial changes and the repetitive phrasing limit the development of the response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is divided into paragraphs, which helps the overall structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or awkward, such as 'To expound other worth noticing transformations'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when discussing the 'upcoming time' without explicitly contrasting it with the current layout. The flow between sentences is occasionally disrupted by grammatical errors and unusual phrasing, which makes the progression of ideas feel somewhat disjointed. Better use of linking words like 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in contrast' would improve the logical flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'in the upcoming time' are used four times, which indicates a lack of lexical variety. There are also several spelling errors ('experinced', 'ranovation', 'oirginal', 'suubsituated') and word choice issues, such as 'demolishment' (demolition is preferred) and 'metamorphosis' (which is slightly too dramatic for a town planning task). While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of precision and the frequent errors in spelling and collocation prevent the response from reaching a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. Examples include 'shops has experinced' (subject-verb agreement), 'The most significant has include' (incorrect verb form), and 'a completely new will be dual carriageway will be' (syntactic confusion). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces and misused semicolons. While the writer attempts complex sentences, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence construction is a significant issue.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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