Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The maps compare the centre of a Islip town currently, and a plans for its future development.
Overall, a small town now consist of main road which is connected with shops, park and school. So after development, countryside shops are replaced by bus station, shopping centre and a car parking.
Islip town centre now, contain a single main road in which several shops are located opposite to each other. Main road conisit of two track, one is connected with park and other is connected with school. After the development, countryside shop are converted into a bus station, a shopping centre, nevertheless a car parking.
Main road is made in a circle shape to have access to all the facilities. Shops which are located at south of town remain same, but main road at the centre is replaced by pedestrian walk way. Additionally, Park is also located at the same place but the size is reduced.
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 cover the main features of the current and future maps of Islip, noting key developments such as the replacement of countryside shops with a bus station, shopping centre, and car park, as well as the pedestrianisation of the main road. However, the overview is rather disjointed and contains inaccurate descriptions, such as stating the main road becomes a 'circle shape' (it becomes a ring road) and mentioning 'countryside shops' which is inaccurate based on the visual data. The selection of data is somewhat limited, and some details are under-developed or imprecise. As a result, this meets the criteria for Band 5.0, where the task is addressed only partially and some information lacks clarity.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay lacks a clear organizational structure and suffers from inadequate and repetitive cohesive devices. Paragraphing is attempted, but the connection between sentences is often faulty and mechanical. For instance, the transition 'nevertheless a car parking' is misused and creates confusion. Referencing is also weak, with pronouns and referencing terms failing to maintain smooth logical progression. The overall arrangement shows some organizational awareness, placing an introduction and overview, but the flow is repeatedly disrupted by abrupt shifts and awkward phrasing. This aligns closely with the Band 5 descriptor for Coherence and Cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student uses a limited and repetitive range of vocabulary, such as constantly repeating 'main road', 'shop', and 'development'. There are noticeable word choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'a Islip town', 'countryside shops', and 'a car parking'. Some spelling and word-form errors occur, though communication is generally maintained despite the strain. While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to discuss town map changes, the lack of flexibility and frequent lexical inaccuracies restrict the score to a Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writing displays a very limited range of grammatical structures. Simple sentences dominate, and attempts at more complex structures are frequently faulty, such as 'a small town now consist of main road which is connected with shops' and 'Main road conisit of two track'. There are persistent errors in subject-verb agreement ('consist' instead of 'consists'), missing articles ('a Islip town', 'a plans', 'pedestrian walk way'), and pluralisation ('two track'). These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader, fitting the Band 5.0 descriptor for Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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