Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-18

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 small-town Islip is planned to develop in a more convenient and disciplined way.

On the one hand, Islip town now have a market in south from the countryside. Opposite the market's shops there is a housing scheme and no main road which make it difficult to go and bring the basic needs to fulfill. School is located at the end of the town and also the end of the main road, which cause huge traffic at off time as well as in the morning. The other end of the road, it has a park caused by the same issue the small and narrow road and having no car parking.

Whereas, on the other hand, Consider the issue of having car parking and narrow roads. The planned development is not only to construct a clean and wide main road all over the Islip town with dual carriageway butt also taken a new and great initiative of building a Bus station and shopping mall. This disciplined map of the center of town leads us to have space for new housing areas.

The planned development is well organized and facilitates with everything that made an ordinary so-called town to an actual town.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to describe the maps of Islip town centre now and in the future, but struggles significantly with accurate feature reporting. The response misinterprets several key elements, such as referring to the shops as a 'market' and speculating on traffic problems and basic needs rather than objectively reporting visual data. Furthermore, the overview is overly vague and subjective. According to the band descriptors, this falls under Band 4.5 to 5.0, as the reporting is inaccurate and the task is only partially addressed due to speculation and misinterpretation of the visual data.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text is divided into four short paragraphs, showing an attempt at a conventional structure with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, the logical progression is weak. The use of cohesive devices is awkward and unnatural, such as 'On the one hand' followed immediately by 'Whereas, on the other hand, Consider the issue...'. Paragraphing is present, but the overall organization feels disjointed and lacks clear referencing. This corresponds closely to the Band 5 descriptor where organisation is present, but overall progression is unclear and cohesive devices are inadequate or inaccurate.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive, with several awkward word choices and non-standard collocations (e.g., 'bring the basic needs to fulfill', 'at off time', 'having no car parking'). While the writer attempts some topic-specific vocabulary like 'dual carriageway', 'bus station', and 'shopping mall', the lexical range is narrow and insufficient for precise reporting. Errors in word choice and phrasing are noticeable and occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, matching the standard criteria for Band 5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The response contains a very limited range of grammatical structures, and attempts at complex sentences frequently result in faulty syntax and severe grammatical errors (e.g., 'now have a market', 'which make it difficult', 'the planned development is not only to construct... butt also taken'). Punctuation and verb tense agreement are problematic throughout the text. These frequent errors disrupt the flow and cause difficulty for the reader, placing the grammar securely in the Band 4 to 5 range.

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

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