Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-29
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 provided map illustrates the centre of little town named as islip as it is now and plans for its development. Overall, the centre planned under significant development. They planned to built car pakring and wanted to remove countryside. starting to the north side, they planned to remove countryside and want to developed modern roads around the islip town centre.Moreover, they planned to develop shopping centre , bus station, car park and newhousing in the town. From the west side, they wanted to remian the school at the same position. Turning to the south side, they wanted to remove main roads and wish to add pedestrains only. They planned to remain the shop at the same position as it is now and want to developed more house around the countryside.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, coming in at 130 words, which restricts the depth of the report. While the student attempts to summarise the main features of the current and planned maps, the overview is extremely basic and lacks precise reporting of key spatial changes, such as the introduction of the dual carriageway loop or the specific zoning changes. Furthermore, the expression of ideas is repetitive and some descriptions are inaccurate according to the visual data. Overall, the task is addressed only partially, placing it at Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response attempts to use basic cohesive devices and transitional phrases such as "Overall," "starting to the north side," and "Turning to the south side." However, the paragraphing is poorly handled, with a large block of text combined with short, disconnected sentences. The logical progression is somewhat disjointed due to repetitive phrasing and weak referencing. Cohesive devices are occasionally inaccurate or mechanical, leading to an overall coherent arrangement that struggles with smooth transitions between ideas. This corresponds to Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 4.5
The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, with numerous spelling and word-formation errors such as "car pakring", "newhousing", "pedestrains", and "remian". There are repeated attempts to use functional vocabulary related to the maps, but the limited range and noticeable errors in word choice and spelling cause frequent distraction for the reader. The student struggles with basic collocations and precision, restricting the lexical score to Band 4.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control is weak. There are frequent grammatical and mechanical errors throughout the text, including tense confusion, missing articles, and incorrect verb patterns (e.g., "They planned to built", "want to developed", "wish to add pedestrains only"). Capitalisation and punctuation errors are also present. While simple sentences are generally understandable, errors in complex structures are frequent and occasionally obscure meaning, which aligns with Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.