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 maps illustrate the information about Islip which is the middle of the town how it is looks before and after planned development.Overall, it can be seen after the development it turned into modernized town. The noticeable change was the construction of bus station,shopping centre and new housing. In terms of detail, before the construction there was no specify buildings on the west and east sides of Islip. After development, This town replaced into more urbanized areas. In addition, there was built of many new housing on the west and east sides of town for residence. Yet, park and school remained on same position. On the north side many construction was seen such as, bus station,shopping centre,car park and new housing . Moreover, In the middle of town there is also space for pedestrians.furthermore, there is also the establishment of dual carriageway which makes it modernized town.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which negatively impacts the score. While you have identified the main features of the development, such as the new housing, bus station, and shopping centre, the analysis lacks depth. You mention that the park and school remain in the same position, which is a good observation, but the description of the town's layout is somewhat vague. To improve, ensure you provide a more detailed comparison between the 'now' and 'planned' maps, and always ensure you meet the minimum word count to avoid a penalty.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into two paragraphs, but the structure is quite basic. While you use some cohesive devices like 'In addition', 'Moreover', and 'furthermore', the flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed. The paragraphing is insufficient for a task of this nature; a clearer separation between the introduction/overview and the body paragraphs would improve the logical progression. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, such as 'This town replaced into more urbanized areas', which does not clearly link back to the previous information.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher bands. You rely on repetitive phrasing such as 'construction' and 'development'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'no specify buildings' (should be 'no specific buildings') and 'replaced into' (which is grammatically and lexically incorrect in this context). To reach a higher band, focus on using more descriptive verbs and nouns related to urban planning and map interpretation.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'it is looks' (should be 'it looks'), 'there was built of many new housing' (should be 'many new houses were built'), and 'remained on same position' (should be 'remained in the same position'). The sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. The punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing after commas and periods. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and preposition usage will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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