Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-27
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 illustrate the centre of a small town called Islip as it is now, and plans for its development.
Overall, the town has done significant changes, where some sectors were either removed or relocated, also with new sectors were added as seen in the maps.
Looking at the current situation of a town, Countryside is located in the northern side of the map on the top, while shops is placed upwards and downwards the main road, where customers can easily visit and buy the things they want, while passing by the road. Similarly, Housing is placed beyond the shops and in the sourthern hand on the map. Just futher, park and school is located near the way of main road, across the road.
After planned development, the plan is to widen the main road along with bus station, shopping center, car parking, new housing and the place only for pedestrians were added, where school and park remain unchanged.
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 student attempts to address the task by describing the current map and the proposed developments for Islip town centre. However, the overview is rather vague, stating only that 'significant changes' occurred without properly summarising the main trends or overall spatial transformations, such as the introduction of the dual carriageway loop. Furthermore, some details are inaccurate or lack clarity, such as the claim that theCountryside is located 'on the top' and the misinterpretation of features like the pedestrianised street. While the response covers several individual map features, the development and selection of information remain superficial, leading to an overall performance consistent with Band 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is structured into four brief paragraphs, attempting an introductory, overall, and body paragraph layout. However, the logical progression is weak. The overview paragraph is overly simplistic, and the transitions between sentences and paragraphs feel disjointed. Cohesive devices are used awkwardly or repetitively, such as the overuse of 'while' and 'where' to link clauses. Paragraphing is present, but internal cohesion is lacking, and referencing is sometimes unclear, which pulls the score to Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is fairly basic and repetitive, with frequent lexical errors and awkward collocations. Examples include 'done significant changes' instead of 'made significant changes', 'sourthern hand' instead of 'southern part', and 'the place only for pedestrians' instead of a 'pedestrianised zone'. The range of vocabulary is limited and minimally adequate for the task, with noticeable word-choice errors that occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, placing this response firmly at Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but these are frequently flawed. Sentences often feature grammatical inaccuracies, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('with new sectors were added') and awkward prepositions ('placed upwards and downwards the main road'). Punctuation is also basic. While the meaning can generally be discerned with some effort, the frequency of errors in basic and complex structures points to a Band 5.0 performance.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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