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 given maps illustrate the information about the changes that has been occured in the development of the centre of a small town named Islip.
Overall, a significant change can be seen in the development of the main road that has been converted in two way road and make a circle around the city which was before in the middle of the city. Shops has been replaced by a shopping centre and newly designated parking space has been added in the new structured town.
The main road that was in the middle of the shops has been converted into a dual carriageway and covers the entre town by making a circle point, while that middle space will be only for pedestrian use in future. The shops in the north side of the centre is divided into multiple spots like a bus station, a shopping centre and a cark park. New housing will take place in the north east side of the centre.
Park will be reduced in the size and school will be connected with the road and more housing spots will be alloted in the centre i future
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 student attempts to address the task by describing the main changes shown in the maps of Islip town centre, such as the introduction of a dual carriageway and pedestrianisation of the central road. An overview is attempted in the second paragraph, mentioning the key transformation of the road network and the replacement of shops. However, the response suffers from inaccuracies and omissions in reporting specific data. For example, the student claims that the school will be connected with the road, whereas the map clearly shows the school and southern housing remaining outside the dual carriageway loop. Additionally, the park reduction and the new housing areas are mentioned, but the level of detail is somewhat limited, leading to an under-development of certain features. This performance aligns best with Band 5.5 to 6.0 descriptors, specifically fitting Band 6 due to addressing all parts of the task with relevant ideas, despite some under-developed or inaccurate descriptions.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organized into four paragraphs, which provides a basic framework for an introduction, an overview, and body details. However, the paragraphing is somewhat disjointed and abrupt, particularly with the final paragraph consisting of a single, short sentence. Cohesive devices are used, but sometimes mechanically or awkwardly, such as 'while that middle space' or 'in the north side of the centre'. There are issues with referencing and logical progression between sentences, which affects the overall flow. While the overall arrangement is coherent enough to follow the general progression of changes, the lack of sophisticated cohesive links and poor paragraph structuring keep it at a Band 5.5 or 6.0 level.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, incorporating topic-specific terms like 'dual carriageway', 'bus station', 'shopping centre', and 'pedestrian use'. However, there are noticeable word-choice errors, awkward collocations, and spelling mistakes throughout the text (e.g., 'occured', 'entre', 'cark park', 'alloted'). The student attempts less common vocabulary, such as 'newly designated parking space', but these attempts are often marred by inaccuracies. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive, which restricts the score to Band 5.5, as the errors in spelling and word choice occasionally cause slight hesitation for the reader.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses ('that has been converted in two way road and make a circle around the city which was before in the middle of the city'). However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with frequent errors in tense, passive/active voice, prepositions, and subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'Shops has been replaced', 'converted in two way road', 'Park will be reduced in the size'). Furthermore, awkward phrasing like 'covers the entre town by making a circle point' reduces clarity. Because the frequency of errors is high and affects basic structures, the grammar performance sits firmly at Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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