Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-03
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)
There are two maps of Islip town centre. The first map show Islip town center and the second map is planned development.In the Islip town map on north side there are shops and on south side there are also shops. There is main road between the shops. A school is in southwest and park in south east.
The planned devlopment map show the change in the map now. In the centre there is main road. On the north there are shops. In the planned map they will make car park new housing shopping centre and bus station. They will also make pedestrains path. On the south side the shops will remain same. They will make small park in the place of big park. The Islip town will be surounded by dual carriageway road. They will also make new housing on south side. The school in the southwest will also remain in its current location.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response addresses the task partially by presenting some of the main features of the maps, such as the addition of the dual carriageway, shopping centre, and the changes to the park. However, the overview is missing entirely, which is a key requirement for Academic Task 1. Some features are under-developed or inaccurately described, such as the statement that 'in the centre there is main road' when the planned map actually shows a pedestrianized street surrounded by a dual carriageway. The reporting of data lacks clear comparisons between the current layout and the proposed developments, limiting the overall completeness of the response.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
There is some basic organization in the text, as it attempts to contrast the current map with the future plans across two brief paragraphs. However, there is no clear overall progression or logical structure guiding the reader smoothly through the spatial changes. Cohesive devices are minimal, repetitive, or inaccurate, with mechanical transitions like 'In the Islip town map' and 'The planned devlopment map show'. Paragraphing is also rudimentary, as all details regarding the changes are lumped together into a single, dense body paragraph without effective grouping of spatial areas.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is limited and repetitive, though it is minimally adequate to convey basic ideas about the town's layout. The student relies heavily on simple, high-frequency words and direct lifting of terms from the prompt, such as 'shops', 'school', 'park', and 'housing'. There are notable spelling errors, such as 'devlopment' and 'pedestrains', alongside awkward word choices like 'pedestrains path' instead of pedestrianized zone. These lexical limitations restrict the precision needed for a higher score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5
The response displays a very limited range of sentence structures, consisting mostly of simple sentences with frequent basic errors. There are notable issues with subject-verb agreement and missing verbs, such as 'The first map show Islip town center' and 'The planned devlopment map show'. Articles and prepositions are frequently misused or omitted, as seen in 'on north side', 'in southwest', and 'in the place of big park'. Punctuation is also problematic, including run-on sentences and missing spaces after periods, which frequently causes difficulty for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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