Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-13
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 demonstrates Islip town centre as it is recent and has plans for upgradation. Overall, the recent town is simple, there are shops on the both sides of the main road, there is a school and a park as well. while the develop plan shows many changes by adding new roads, shopping centres, parking area and a bus station.
Recent Islip town centre is quit simple, a main road passing through the town, and on each sides of main road there are shops. On the northern side there is a countryside, while on west south there is a school and on east south side of the plan there is park. Between school and park there is a housing area.
On the other hand, Development plan of Islip town centre, there is a large ring road. major developments are occur on the northern side of the town, by building bus station, shopping centre, car parking and also add a new housing. while south side of the plan shows no change at all, but only park area reduce due to passing new ring road and added a new housing near the park. South west side of the new plan there is dual carriageway entering from the west side the new road.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task well by identifying the main features of the current Islip town centre and the future development plans, such as the new ring road, housing areas, and relocated amenities. Comparisons are made, noting changes on the northern and southern sides of the town. However, some descriptions lack precision, such as referring to the 'countryside' or misinterpreting certain spatial relationships. The overview provided in the introduction is basic and could be more fully developed to capture the overarching transformation of the town. Nevertheless, the response successfully fulfills the core requirements of Academic Task 1, earning a solid Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response exhibits a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to structure the information logically, separating the description of the current map from the future plan. However, the use of cohesive devices is often faulty or mechanical, as seen with phrases like 'while the develop plan shows' and 'On the other hand, Development plan of Islip town centre'. Paragraphing is attempted, but transitions between sentences can feel abrupt, and referencing is occasionally unclear ('there is dual carriageway entering from the west side the new road'). Overall, the cohesion meets the criteria for Band 5.5.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to town planning such as 'housing area', 'shopping centre', 'car parking', and 'ring road'. However, there are notable word choice and word formation errors, such as 'upgradation' instead of 'upgrade' or 'development', 'quit simple' instead of 'quite simple', and 'west south' instead of 'south-west'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with some inaccuracy, placing this response firmly in the Band 5.5 range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but attempts at complex structures are frequently faulty. There are persistent grammatical errors, including missing prepositions ('shops on the both sides'), incorrect subject-verb agreement or tense usage ('major developments are occur'), and fragmented sentence structures ('Recent Islip town centre is quit simple, a main road passing through the town...'). Punctuation is also weak, with run-on sentences lacking proper conjunctions. These errors occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, aligning with the Band 5.0 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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