Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-21
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 illustration gives information about comparison of a small town as it looks now and plan for its development. Overall, after development, there will be a new shopping centre and a bus station opened.
It is quite evident from the diagram that now, islip town have a countryside in the north side of the centre. There are some shops along the countryside and some shops after crossing the road. There is a large housing area in the centre of the islip and a park in the east side of the centre. The islip also have a school in the south-west corner of the centre.
Meanwhile, after development, there will be a bus station, a shopping centre, a car park and a new housing area in the north side of the town. A dual carriageway will add around the centre of the islip. Also there should be a new car park along with the dual carriageway.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The candidate attempts to cover the main features of the maps, presenting an overall trend in the introduction and noting key changes such as the addition of a shopping centre, bus station, car park, and dual carriageway. However, the response is quite brief and omits several significant details shown in the visual data, such as the pedestrianisation of the central road, the reduction in size of the park, and which elements remained unchanged (like the school and southern housing). Furthermore, there are some inaccuracies in spatial referencing, such as stating that the countryside is in the north of the centre when it is actually replaced or bordered directly by the new facilities, and missing the location of the new housing in the northeast. Consequently, the task is addressed only partially, warranting a Band 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is divided into three brief paragraphs: an introduction, a current overview, and a future overview. While there is a basic logical progression from present to future, the paragraphing is underdeveloped, and the second paragraph crams too many disparate spatial details together ("now, islip town have a countryside... the islip also have a school..."). Cohesive devices are very basic and repetitive (e.g., "There is", "There are", "Meanwhile, after development"). Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the overall structure lacks the sophisticated linking expected at higher bands. This performance aligns with Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, relying heavily on fundamental terms like "town", "centre", "shops", "housing", and "park". There are noticeable lexical and word-choice errors, such as "illustration gives information about comparison" instead of "comparison between", and incorrect capitalisation and article usage ("islip town have", "the islip"). Attempts to use less common vocabulary are limited, though words like "development", "carriageway", and "pedestrianisation" are relevant to the task. Because the range is limited and contains noticeable errors, a Band 5.0 is appropriate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The candidate demonstrates a mix of simple and some complex sentence forms, but grammatical control is weak. There are frequent errors in subject-verb agreement and article use, such as "islip town have a countryside" (should be "has a countryside" or "the town has") and "in the north side" (instead of "on the north side"). Punctuation and capitalization are also inconsistent ("islip"). Although the meaning is generally decipherable, the frequency of basic errors prevents the response from achieving a higher band. This corresponds to a Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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