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 demonstrate the current picture of the center of a mini town known as Islip and its upgradation plans.
Overall, much progress is expected to be seen in the town centre as compared to what it is right now. Dual carriageway is a most significant feature in the planned development alongwith the construction of housing areas.
At present, shops are built on the both sides of the main road. Moreover, the housing, the park and the school are not constructed in an organized way.
In the planned development, the center of the town has been surrounded by a dual carriageway. The shops which were on the north of the main road have been replaced by a bus station, a shopping centre, a car park and a new housing which is linked with the dual carriageway in the east. The main road has been changed with "Pedestrians only". The shops on the south of the main road are same as they were before while park,s area has been limitized with the addition of a new housing.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The student addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making comparisons between the current and planned maps of Islip. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the most significant changes, such as the introduction of a dual carriageway and housing developments. Key spatial features are correctly identified, including the pedestrianisation of the central street, the replacement of northern shops with a bus station, shopping centre, and car park, and the reduction of the park area. However, the details lack depth in places, and some descriptions are slightly imprecise, such as referring to Islip as a "mini town." Overall, the response covers the essential information required for a Band 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organised into four paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, a description of the current layout, and a detailed paragraph on the planned developments. Progression is generally clear, guiding the reader from the present state to the future plans. Cohesive devices are used, such as "At present," "Moreover," and "In the planned development," though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is logical, but the separation of current and future features could be tied together more fluidly to enhance the overall cohesion of the report.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as "upragdation" (misspelled), "significant feature," and "pedestrians only." However, there are notable word-choice and collocation errors, such as "mini town" instead of "small town," "upragdation plans" instead of "development plans," and "park,s area has been limitized" instead of "the park has been reduced." Spelling and morphological errors like "alongwith" and "limitized" prevent the score from reaching a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including passive structures like "have been replaced" and "has been changed with." There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings throughout the text, such as "shops are built on the both sides," "the housing, the park and the school are not constructed in an organized way," and "The main road has been changed with 'Pedestrians only'" (where "replaced by" would be more appropriate). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to keep the grammar score at a Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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