Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The given map illustrates the centre of a small town known as "Islip" as it is now and what plans have decided to make it more developed.

Overall, the map shows that bigger changes will be going to make in the top of centre in the future. A dual carriageway will develop around the centre .In adiition new housing , bus station and car park will be added.

When we look at a map it clears that the main road was modfiy into pedestrians only and a Dual carraigeway will develop for moving.The shops on the top will be diminished, and a bus station, shopping centre, car park will be constructed . While there will be a new housing scheme at the north east of the Islip.

The majority of the lower town will remain unchange, like the school, the housing at the south east ,the park, and the shops on the bottom side. While the housing on the middle will be changed and move to the bottom left of the dual carriageway and the new housing will be added to the bottom right.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main direction of change: the central road becomes pedestrian-only, a dual carriageway is added, and the northern shops are replaced by new facilities. You also include an overview and compare the northern and southern parts, so the response covers the task’s key purpose. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear. The school remains outside the carriageway, but the park is reduced and remains inside it; your statement that the park will remain unchanged misses this important change. The housing is not simply moved to the bottom left: existing housing remains there, while new housing is added in the middle and northeast. To strengthen the report, describe these locations precisely and distinguish retained features from altered ones.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overall summary, and two paragraphs describing the planned changes. This gives the reader a generally coherent route through the comparison. Some linking is effective, such as “Overall” and “When we look at a map,” but transitions are occasionally mechanical or confusing. The repeated use of “While” to begin statements does not always show a clear contrast, and the final paragraph combines several locations in a way that makes the park and housing changes difficult to follow. Improve progression by grouping information by area—for example, northern changes first, then the pedestrian street and southern area—and use clear references such as “the existing housing” and “the new housing.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant map vocabulary, including “dual carriageway,” “pedestrians only,” “shopping centre,” and “north east,” which helps communicate the planned development. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, sometimes making the meaning less clear. For example, “what plans have decided to make it more developed” is an awkward way to introduce the proposal, and “the shops … will be diminished” does not clearly express that they are replaced. There are also spelling errors such as “adiition,” “modfiy,” and “carraigeway.” Aim for precise reporting verbs and location phrases, and check spelling carefully; this will make the description more natural and easier to interpret.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “While,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, errors in verb forms, sentence construction, articles, and punctuation are noticeable. For instance, “bigger changes will be going to make” has an incorrect future construction, while “the main road was modfiy into pedestrians only” uses an incorrect verb form and tense. The sentence beginning “Overall” also has an awkward construction, and spacing around full stops is inconsistent. Practise accurate passive forms such as “will be converted into” and use complete, clearly punctuated sentences. Greater control of these patterns would make your comparisons more fluent.

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