Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-22
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 diagrams illustrates the current and after redesigning structure of the Islip town centre.
Overall, the Islip town centre is fully redesigned and is planning to develop its structure massively. The current straight main road is going to be transformed, changing into the ring road and different structures is to be built inside the ring road. The dual carriageway is planning to be established within the ring road.
Subsequently, the shops located in the northern part will be demolished and various new structures like Bus station, shopping centre, car park and new housing are going to be constructed being attached side by side. However, the southern shops will remain as it is now. But, between the southern shops and northern structures, a pedestrians is going to be made that prohibits all types of vehicles.
Additionally, the school and housing remain to be as it is now. And, the park is going to be concised in the future that allows the space for new housing. Most importantly, there will be the dual carriageway systems in the new plan. The overall structure is going to change from the rural design to the urban designed system.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The candidate successfully addresses the main features of the task by outlining the key changes to Islip town centre, such as the introduction of a dual carriageway, pedestrianised central street, and new commercial/residential zones. An overview is present, noting the overall shift towards a more developed urban structure. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in describing spatial relationships, such as stating that a dual carriageway is planning to be established within the ring road, whereas the dual carriageway itself forms the loop around the centre. Overall, all parts of the prompt are addressed, supporting a solid Band 6.5 to 7.0 performance.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding overview. Cohesive devices are used to sequence information, such as 'Overall', 'Subsequently', and 'Additionally'. However, referencing and paragraph transitions are sometimes slightly mechanical or awkward, such as starting a sentence with 'And' and using repetitive connectors. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, main body developments, and overall summary, providing a coherent overall arrangement.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The candidate demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting less common items such as 'demolished', 'pedestrianised' (written as 'pedestrians'), and 'concised'. However, there are noticeable lexical and word-form errors that detract from precision, such as 'after redesigning structure', 'is planning to develop', and 'concised' instead of 'reduced in size'. Spelling and word-choice errors do not impede overall communication, but they restrict the score to a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There is a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, with attempts at passive voice constructions ('is going to be constructed', 'is to be built'). However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several errors in tense, voice, and subject-verb agreement, such as 'The diagrams illustrates', 'is planning to develop' (should be passive), 'a pedestrians is going to be made' (countable noun/verb agreement error), and 'housing remain to be as it is'. These errors occur regularly, though they rarely impede overall communication.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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