Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-03
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 center of a town which need some development and we also have current map or map after development.
The current map of Islip is quit simple. As we can see in north we have shops, main road, park housing and school. There are some things which we have to develop like bus station, shoping center, car park and new housing.
However, In center of north we have countryside and after that shops and main road and again shops. School is on south of the map and park is on east of the Islip. Now we have to talk about development plan which include new map. In north there is shopping center and car park if we talk about west we have a bus station and new housing is on upper east side of map. The park is on lower east side and school in on south corner of the map. we also have one path for pedestrians only and the boundry of town center is covered by roads
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to describe the maps but fails to provide a clear overview or a logical summary of the main features. The description is fragmented and lacks a professional tone, often reading like a list of items rather than an analytical report. Key features such as the removal of the countryside or the expansion of the road network are not clearly highlighted or compared. The response lacks a clear structure, and the information provided is somewhat disorganized, making it difficult for the reader to visualize the changes. To improve, focus on identifying the most significant changes (e.g., the transition from a rural to a more urbanized layout) and group information logically by area or feature.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay lacks a clear paragraph structure, which is essential for Task 1. The ideas are presented in a somewhat stream-of-consciousness manner, making it difficult to follow the progression of the development plan. There is a lack of cohesive devices to link sentences and ideas effectively; for example, the transition between the current map and the development plan is abrupt. While there is some attempt to use linking words like 'However', the overall organization is weak. Improving the use of paragraphing—one for the introduction/overview and one or two for the detailed features—would significantly enhance the clarity and flow of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is quite basic and repetitive, relying on simple descriptors like 'simple', 'new', and 'some things'. There is limited use of precise terminology related to urban planning or map description. For instance, instead of 'things which we have to develop', more precise language such as 'proposed infrastructure' or 'planned facilities' would be appropriate. Spelling errors such as 'quit' (quite), 'shoping' (shopping), and 'boundry' (boundary) also detract from the quality of the writing. To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more varied and topic-specific vocabulary, such as 'residential area', 'pedestrianized zone', or 'infrastructure expansion'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. There are issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'town which need'), missing articles (e.g., 'in north', 'on south'), and awkward sentence construction (e.g., 'In center of north we have countryside'). The range of structures is limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences. There is a lack of complex sentence structures, which are necessary for higher band scores. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some sentences lacking proper capitalization or ending punctuation. Focusing on basic sentence construction and ensuring correct article usage would be a good starting point for improvement.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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