Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The map illustrates the centre of a small town called islip as it is now, and plans for it's development.

Overall, it is clear that the area became more development and modernized. In addition, bus station, shopping center, car park and new housing was introduced while Main road was removed.

Looking at the details islip structure there was a main road in the northern part of the town. It was later replaced by a bus station, shopping center, car park and new housing. Similarly, the housing in the southern centre were replaced by a shop.

In comparison, the park and school remained unchanged, while northern and southern area was developed and modernized there was planning of the structure to much modernized. By planning development structure of Islip are designed with circular shaped everything build inside. In main rood had been replaced by a bus station and car park, while housing had been replaced by a shop.

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 removal of the main road and the addition of new facilities. However, the description is somewhat repetitive and lacks precision in spatial referencing. For example, the statement that 'everything build inside' is vague and does not accurately describe the layout changes. While the main trends are identified, the comparison between the current and future states could be more effectively integrated to provide a clearer overview. The response addresses the task requirements but lacks the analytical depth required for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow of ideas is often disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical, such as the repetitive use of 'In addition' and 'In comparison'. Some sentences are difficult to follow due to awkward phrasing, such as 'there was planning of the structure to much modernized'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to track the changes being described. Improved use of linking words and better sentence-to-sentence progression would significantly enhance the coherence of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are several instances of word-choice errors, such as 'became more development' instead of 'became more developed' and 'main rood' instead of 'main road'. The range of vocabulary is limited, relying on basic terms like 'structure' and 'modernized' repeatedly. To improve, you should focus on using more varied descriptive language related to urban planning and map interpretation, and ensure that you use the correct word forms in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('bus station... was introduced'), incorrect verb tenses, and awkward phrasing ('By planning development structure of Islip are designed'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of apostrophes ('it's' instead of 'its'). While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors would be beneficial.

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

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