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)

As there are two diagrams one is islip town center now and one islip town center planned development so as we can see the the planned development is more advanced

before development the country side was there but inplanned development there is various new development like bus station shopping center car parks and in addition there is also a new housing

if we descend towards south the center has main road then we go more downwards there is shops in case of planned development there is pedestrains only and below that there also shops

now if we go towars the west there is school but in planned development there is dual carriageway in both center school and park is at same place

if we see the area of school near it there is a housing but in development there is a full road and new housing area

so in conclusion palnned development is more development and better

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially, presenting a rudimentary overview of the changes in Islip town centre but failing to develop the comparisons fully. While the student mentions some general differences, such as the introduction of a bus station, shopping centre, and dual carriageway, key details are omitted or described inaccurately. For instance, the spatial relationships and transformations of the park and housing areas are confused, particularly when attempting to describe the western and southern zones. The overview is overly simplistic, stating only that 'the planned development is more advanced,' which lacks the clear selection and reporting of main features required for a higher level. To improve, the writer needs to systematically group and compare specific features, such as the pedestrianisation of the high street and the rerouting of traffic.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response displays some organisation, but lacks a clear overall progression. The text is written as a single dense paragraph with run-on sentences, completely lacking proper paragraphing to separate the introduction, body details, and conclusion. Cohesive devices are largely inadequate or repetitive, relying heavily on basic linkers and chains of clauses connected by 'and' or 'so' (e.g., 'so as we can see', 'then we go more downwards', 'if we see'). Reference pronouns are often ambiguous, making it difficult to follow which area of the map the writer is referring to. To achieve a higher score, the response must be structured into logical paragraphs, and a wider variety of cohesive markers should be used to guide the reader smoothly through the spatial comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The student relies on basic, repetitive terms such as 'development', 'housing', 'school', and 'shops', and attempts to use less common vocabulary are sparse. There are noticeable word choice and spelling errors throughout the text, including 'country side', 'inplanned', 'pedestrains', 'towars', and 'palnned', which reflect a weak command of lexical forms. Although the meaning can generally be deciphered, these inaccuracies place a strain on the reader. To improve, the student should incorporate a broader range of precise vocabulary specific to describing maps and urban changes, such as 'demolished', 'replaced', 'converted', and 'relocated', while ensuring correct spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response demonstrates a very limited range of sentence structures, consisting almost entirely of poorly punctuated run-on clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions. There are frequent grammatical errors, including missing articles (e.g., 'is islip town center now', 'has main road', 'in case of planned development'), incorrect prepositions, and severe punctuation issues such as the complete absence of capital letters and full stops. Attempts at complex sentences are faulty and often result in incoherent strings of thoughts. To move up to a higher band, the writer must use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms accurately, employ correct punctuation including terminal full stops, and pay careful attention to grammatical boundaries and article usage.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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