Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-02
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 two maps illustrate the information about Islip town centre now, and plans for its development.
Overall, it is evident from that maps there are become several changes in plan for development. Now it is open land is very large. But after planing it will be convert into good area. There are upgrade shopping centers and residential area.
Initially, in Islip town cetntre now is countryside and shops are located in the top of the map but after plans it convert into bus station, shopping centre, car park and new housing. Secondly, curruntely situated a main road in the centre of shops however, it is change into pedestrains only
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response only partially addresses the task requirements. It is significantly below the minimum length requirement of 150 words, stopping at just 110 words. While the student attempts to summarise the main features of the maps, such as the introduction of a bus station, shopping centre, car park, and new housing, the information is presented in a very limited and under-developed manner. Key changes are mentioned superficially without sufficient detail or accurate geographic comparisons between the two diagrams. For instance, the reference to open land is overly vague. To reach a higher band, the writer must ensure the word count requirement is met and provide a more fully developed, detailed account of the spatial changes shown in both maps.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
There is some basic organisation in the text, beginning with an introduction followed by body paragraphs, but there is no clear overall progression. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes inaccurate, such as 'Initially, in Islip town cetntre now is countryside' and 'Secondly, curruntely situated a main road'. Referencing is also faulty in places, for example 'it is evident from that maps there are become several changes'. Paragraphing is attempted, but the paragraphs are very brief and fail to structure the response effectively. To improve coherence and cohesion, the student should use cohesive devices more naturally and ensure ideas are logically sequenced with clear transitions between sentences and paragraphs.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The lexical resource is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The vocabulary used is quite basic and repetitive, with noticeable errors in word choice and word formation, such as 'planing' instead of 'planning', 'convert' instead of 'be converted', and 'pedestrains'. Phrasing like 'Now it is open land is very large' and 'upgrade shopping centers' causes some difficulty for the reader and lacks precision. There are also spelling errors like 'cetntre' and 'curruntely'. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to expand their vocabulary range, use less common items with greater precision, and ensure accurate word forms and spelling throughout the response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response demonstrates a very limited range of grammatical structures. Simple sentences predominate, and attempts at more complex structures are frequently faulty, such as 'there are become several changes in plan for development' and 'after plans it convert into bus station'. There are frequent errors in verb forms, prepositions, articles, and sentence construction, which can cause difficulty for the reader. For example, 'now is countryside and shops are located' lacks a proper subject clause. To move to a higher band, the student must incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence forms while maintaining control over basic grammar, tense consistency, and sentence architecture.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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