Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-11

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 maps illustrate that the center of small town called islip as it is now, and plans for its development.

Overall the islip town centre planned development is according to modern infrastructure. Right now islip town is covered with park on south-east side, Countryside on northern side of main road and beside Country side, Shops are available and near to shops housing society is available and on the west-south side school is available.

On the other hand plan development is very modern style, like dual carriageway will be constructed om west side entrance in addition to north east side new housing will built, car park is also buit in the future a proper ring road side covered all the things in planned development, bus station will be constructed on north west side a big project of shoping center included in development

Overall islip town planned development is example of modern infrastructure

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the task by describing the current layout and the proposed changes. However, the overview is weak and lacks a clear summary of the most significant changes, such as the transition from a rural layout to a more urbanized one. While the main features are identified, the description is somewhat list-like and lacks the analytical depth required for a higher band. The comparison between the two maps is present but could be more effectively integrated to highlight the transformation of the town centre. To improve, ensure that the overview synthesizes the information rather than just stating that the development is 'modern'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is organized into paragraphs, but the logical flow is hindered by poor sentence structure and a lack of effective cohesive devices. The transition between the current state and the future plans is abrupt. There is a reliance on simple conjunctions, and the use of referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the spatial relationships between the different features mentioned. The paragraphing is present but does not effectively separate the introduction, the overview, and the detailed body paragraphs, which affects the overall progression of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic terms like 'available', 'side', and 'built'. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'housing society is available' and 'proper ring road side covered all the things'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to describe the map features with precision. To achieve a higher score, you should incorporate more varied and precise terminology related to urban planning and spatial descriptions, such as 'residential area', 'peripheral', 'integrated', or 'transformed'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors, including issues with articles ('the center of small town'), subject-verb agreement, and punctuation. Many sentences are run-on or lack proper structure, such as 'car park is also buit in the future a proper ring road side covered all the things'. There is a lack of complex sentence structures, and the errors in basic grammar occasionally impede the clarity of the information provided. Focusing on sentence boundaries and consistent verb tense usage would significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

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

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