Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-08

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 following maps illustrate the centre of a small town called Islip currently, and plans for its development.

Overall, the overview of the planned development seems quite different from the present map, as it is much more convenient and is arranged appropriately. Bus station and pedestrian walking are the new additions to the planned development.

On the one hand, the countryside is at the north end of the town centre and the housing is created on the southern side with shops, main road in the center followed by further shops. Also, the eastern side had a park at the end of the road whereas, the school is located at the left corner at the west, opposite the park.

On the other hand, the planned development has changed the shape of the town centre from vertical to the circular expansion. Furthermore, a dual carrageway has been constructed around the town centre with school and housing across the road at the southern side. Moreover, shops has been transformed into a shopping centre at the same location with the further addition of bus station, car park. Additionally, a new housing scheme is developed at the right corner beside the dual carriageway. In addition, pedestrian crossing has replaced the main road followed by further shops which remained at its place. Housing has been doubled on the same site, and the parking lot is not recolated. However, the school and housing remained at the sourthern side as previously, but are now found to be across the dual carriageway.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover both maps and identify several important changes, including the pedestrianised central street, the new bus station and car park, and the dual carriageway. Your overview also recognises that the planned layout differs substantially from the current one. However, some comparisons are unclear or inaccurate: the shops north of the main road are replaced by separate facilities, not simply transformed into one shopping centre, and the new housing is not described as doubling existing housing. The school and southern housing remain outside the carriageway loop, rather than being “across” it. The claim that the plan is “more convenient” is an unsupported judgement. A more precise overview and clearer descriptions of what is retained, replaced, or relocated would make the main features more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the current and planned layouts. This gives the reader a basic route through the comparison. However, progression within the paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow, particularly in the final paragraph, where several changes are added without a clear spatial order. Linking phrases such as “Moreover,” “Additionally,” and “In addition” are used repeatedly and mechanically, while “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” do not establish a particularly useful contrast here. Some references are also unclear, such as “the same location” and “the same site.” Organise details by area—north, central street, then south—and use more precise references to improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of map-related vocabulary, including “dual carriageway,” “southern side,” “remained,” and “replaced,” and the reader can generally understand the intended changes. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward: “pedestrian walking” and “pedestrian crossing” do not accurately name a street reserved for pedestrians, while “the shape … from vertical to the circular expansion” is unclear. There are also spelling errors in “carrageway,” “recolated,” and “sourthern.” Some wording is unnecessarily evaluative, such as “arranged appropriately,” rather than describing visible features. Use precise terms for map features and check spelling, especially for less familiar vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “whereas” and “which,” and most of the map information remains understandable. Some grammatical errors nevertheless recur. Subject–verb agreement is incorrect in “shops has been transformed,” and the article is missing in “Bus station … are the new additions.” The sentence beginning “Moreover, shops has been transformed” also has an unclear structure because several facilities are listed without a clear grammatical relationship. Punctuation around “whereas” is awkward in “whereas, the school,” and the final sentence contains an unnecessary double space. Aim for accurate agreement and articles, and divide long lists of changes into complete, clearly structured sentences.

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