Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-29

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 illustrated map depicts centre of a small town which is called Islip. Map describes how its look now and its plans of development for future.

Respectively, the Islip town center at the moment on top north side countryside crossing the and there arr shops and main road after that again shops then its lead to housing and all the center area is for housing and on the left side the center east side there is park and on the west side thsere is a schools.

On the other hand, new map which is planned includes bus station at west side after crosing bus station there is shopping center and after that car park area after crossing all these at the east side there is a new housing, coming from east to soth side the park is still on the same area as i was before also school is still on the area where it was before. The dual carriageway is introduced in map which is on west south corner and at the lower center of west and east there is housing area as well.

In comparison, there are some changes made in new map which are bus station, car park, dual carriageway, shopping center and new housing are planned in new map.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the maps, identifying key changes such as the introduction of the bus station, shopping centre, and dual carriageway. However, the description of the current town layout is somewhat confusing and lacks precision in spatial referencing (e.g., 'on top north side countryside crossing the'). While the main features are identified, the comparison between the two maps is not fully developed, and the overview is weak. The response would benefit from a clearer summary of the overall transformation, such as the shift from a residential-focused centre to a more commercialized hub.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, but the flow of information is often disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes inaccurate, such as the repetitive use of 'after that' and 'after crossing'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the spatial progression across the map. While there is a logical attempt to contrast the 'now' and 'future' plans, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the awkward sentence transitions hinder the overall coherence of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic terms like 'map', 'area', 'side', and 'housing'. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'its look now' instead of 'its current appearance' and 'coming from east to soth side'. The range of vocabulary is just adequate to convey the basic information, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. Spelling errors, such as 'soth' and 'thsere', also occur, though they do not significantly impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response relies primarily on simple sentence structures. Attempts at more complex sentences are often marred by grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('depicts centre of a small town') and incorrect verb usage ('as i was before'). There are frequent errors in punctuation and sentence construction, which occasionally make the text difficult to parse. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of control over complex structures and the high frequency of basic grammatical errors limit the score in this criterion.

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