Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-06

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)

So, now the current Islip town centre is in a way that there is a main road, surrounded by shops on both sides. The left side of road is countryside and the right side there are shops. The first right, before the main road contain a school and a housing society. after going through main road if we take second right, then there is a park. Now what we have planned for development is expanding the main road into dua carriageway. In such a way that between the dual road, there is bus station, shopping centre, car parking instead of the shops on left side. We have planned for new housing too on both sides of the shops. And park, school and shops on right sides are untouched. We are just changing the main road, adding some new elements like bus station, car parking for the people, and new homes for thepeople to reside.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe the changes shown in the maps, but the coverage is partial and lacks an overall summary. The writer focuses on individual features in a somewhat disjointed manner, such as stating 'the left side of road is countryside and the right side there are shops', which misinterprets the current layout where countryside sits to the north of the northern strip of shops. Furthermore, the use of first-person pronouns like 'we have planned' introduces an inappropriate informal tone for an academic task, detracting from the objective reporting required. Key features of the future development, such as the dual carriageway loop and the pedestrianisation of the central street, are mentioned, but spatial relationships and locations are frequently unclear or inaccurate, keeping the score at this level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response lacks a clear overall progression and logical paragraphing, as it is presented as a single dense block of text. Cohesive devices are either missing, inadequate, or repetitive, relying on basic sequencing phrases such as 'So, now' and 'after going through main road'. The referencing between sentences is often unclear, leaving the reader confused about which areas of the map are being referred to, as seen in expressions like 'In such a way that between the dual road'. To progress, the writer needs to group related information logically into separate paragraphs and utilise a wider range of appropriate cohesive links to guide the reader smoothly through the spatial changes.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task. There are noticeable errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'dua carriageway' (dual carriageway) and 'car parking' instead of car park. The writer struggles to employ precise geographical and descriptive terminology, frequently resorting to vague expressions like 'housing society' and 'on right sides'. While communication is not entirely blocked, these lexical limitations and spelling slips impede fluency and prevent the response from achieving a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The grammatical range is quite limited, consisting mostly of simple and attempted complex sentences that are often structurally faulty. There are frequent errors in basic grammar, including missing prepositions, articles, and incorrect verb forms, such as 'The first right, before the main road contain a school' (where subject-verb agreement and prepositional use are flawed). Punctuation is also problematic, with run-on phrasing and improper comma splices. These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader and demonstrate a lack of reliable control over complex sentence structures.

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