Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-09
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 a small city, Islip's previous structure against the premeditated structure after several enhancements. Overall, the current Islip arrangement consists of a singular road, with shops on both sides of the road, North and South, with school and housing in one alignment and also has a park. The intentional developments are to bring a dual carriageway circling the whole town, with introducing major changes like adding a bus station, shopping centre, car park and housing in 3 locations.
Initially, the town only had one-way potentially creating heavy traffic, however it is planned to build a dual carriageway which easily facilitates traffic and vehicles, reducing congestion in the town. Furthermore, before the town only consisted of shops, but further developments introduces the town to bus station, shopping centre, car park and 2 new housing allotments. Due to these, Islip becomes a highly mobile region enabling citizens to settle and travel with multiple outgoing activities. Notably, the park has reduced to accommodate new housing.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the maps, including the proposed dual carriageway and the addition of new facilities. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For example, the description of the town's layout is a bit cluttered, and the comparison between the 'previous' and 'planned' structures could be more precise. While you identify the reduction of the park, you miss some specific details, such as the relocation of the housing or the specific placement of the new facilities relative to the old ones. To improve, ensure you clearly contrast the 'before' and 'after' states with more specific spatial references.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into two paragraphs, which is appropriate for a short report. There is a clear overall progression from an introduction/overview to a more detailed body paragraph. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Due to these, Islip becomes...' and 'Initially, the town only had...'. The transition between the overview and the specific details could be smoother. The paragraphing is logical, but the internal flow within the second paragraph could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect the changes more fluidly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'premeditated structure', 'dual carriageway', and 'allotments'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, 'singular road' is not the most natural way to describe a main road, and 'outgoing activities' is vague and does not accurately describe the town's development. The phrase 'housing in 3 locations' is a bit simplistic. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise geographical and descriptive vocabulary, such as 'peripheral', 'residential zones', or 'infrastructure'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'with school and housing in one alignment and also has a park' (which lacks a clear subject) and 'further developments introduces' (subject-verb agreement error). Additionally, 'the town only had one-way' is incomplete. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and using more varied, error-free complex sentences to describe the changes.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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