Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The maps illustrate the design of a town centre at present named Islip and a development plan for the centre. Overall, town centre plan involves many new additions and convert it into a circular structure with the help of main road.
It can be seen that, currently town centre is a qiute basic and a road crossing between the shops on both sides. At the top of centre, there is a space for country side and down to map large free area where a park and school located along with housing.
Furthermore, plan includes several advantageous things like car park, shopping centre and bus station which replace the shops area and also it covers the countryside. Meanwhile, the main road changed the whole design into a circle and added a pedestrains in the centre of it where the previous shops still remains the same. Although park and school position reamins the same but the size of park becomes smaller and it introducing new housing as well along the upper position and where the school located.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student successfully identifies the main features of the two maps, comparing Islip town centre now and its proposed future layout. The overview notes the most significant changes, such as the introduction of a dual carriageway loop and the pedestrianisation of the central street. Key changes are reported, including the replacement of northern shops with a bus station, shopping centre, and car park, as well as the reduction in the size of the park. However, there are minor inaccuracies in spatial reporting, such as stating that new housing is introduced 'where the school located', whereas the school remains outside the loop in the south. Overall, all parts of the task are addressed adequately, fitting the Band 6 descriptor.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a clear overall arrangement with a distinct introduction, body paragraphs, and an overview. Cohesive devices are used to link ideas, such as 'Furthermore', 'Meanwhile', and 'Although'. However, paragraphing is somewhat weak, as the introductory overview is split awkwardly and body elements are compressed. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in phrases like 'down to map large free area' and 'where the school located', which disrupts the logical flow and progression. Cohesion can feel mechanical at times, aligning the text with Band 6 standards.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'advantageous', 'pedestrians', and 'circular structure'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'qiute basic' (spelling error), 'country side', and 'it introducing new housing'. The student also struggles with word forms, using 'convert' instead of 'conversion' and 'pedestrians' instead of 'pedestrianised'. These lexical inaccuracies and spelling errors place the response firmly in Band 5, though communication is generally maintained.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and concessive clauses (e.g., 'Overall, town centre plan involves...', 'Although park and school position reamins the same...'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing articles ('at present named Islip', 'to the north of northern strip'), incorrect verb tenses and forms ('and convert it', 'remain' spelled as 'reamins', 'where the school located'), and awkward phrasing. These errors can cause some difficulty for the reader, matching the Band 5 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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