Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-07

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 maps illustrate redevelopment of the small town Islip how looking now and changes for future.

Overall, the present map has park and school in the east and west side and society which includes housing, shops and countryside area located at the north and south side. Therefore the future map is opposite to the present map changes are dramatically.

Looking in depth the road is replaced and constructed as a ring around countryside. Shops are replaced by shopping centre, Moreover bus station, car park, and new housing scheme will be added. Pedesitrian area has been replaced by road. The park and school are located as they are. However, new housing scheme will be followed as in northern side also in southern side. The main thing is ring road which is built in dual carriageway along which it meets all the locations. On the other hand there were dramatically changes for future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad purpose of the maps and mention several major changes, including the dual carriageway, pedestrianised central street, shopping centre, bus station and car park. However, the account only partially reports the layout: the overview is unclear, and some details are inaccurate. For example, the park and school are not both on opposite sides of the current town centre; the school remains in the south, while the park is to the east. The future plan also does not replace the pedestrian street with a road: the central street becomes pedestrian-only, while the dual carriageway loops around the centre. Explain more precisely which shops remain, where new housing is added, and how the park changes to make the main comparisons clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has an opening, an attempted overview and a later paragraph of details, so there is some basic organisation. However, progression is difficult to follow because the overview combines several locations in an unclear way, and the final sentence repeats the idea that there are dramatic changes rather than adding information. Linking words such as “Therefore,” “Moreover” and “On the other hand” are used, but some do not show a clear relationship between the ideas they connect. For instance, “On the other hand” introduces no genuine contrast. Group the information by the current layout and the planned changes, and use clear location-based sequencing so readers can follow the map from north to south or west to east.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant map vocabulary, including “redevelopment,” “ring,” “dual carriageway,” “shopping centre” and “pedestrian area.” This gives the response a basic range for describing the plans. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unclear, such as “society” for the town’s built-up area, “ring around countryside,” and “the future map is opposite to the present map changes.” “Pedesitrian” is also misspelled, and “new housing scheme” is repeated. These choices sometimes make it difficult to understand exactly what is changing. Use precise terms such as “town centre,” “surrounding countryside,” “pedestrian-only street” and “housing development,” and vary repeated descriptions where appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts a few longer structures, including “which includes housing, shops and countryside area” and “along which it meets all the locations,” but these are not controlled successfully. The opening sentence lacks a clear grammatical structure, and several sentences have problems with articles, agreement or clause construction, as in “The maps illustrate redevelopment of the small town Islip how looking now.” Tense and passive forms are also inconsistent: “The road is replaced and constructed” does not clearly distinguish the existing layout from the planned one. Sentence boundaries and punctuation need attention, particularly the comma splice before “Moreover.” Build a reliable base with clear present-tense descriptions of the current map and future forms such as “is planned to be” for proposed changes.

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