Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 map represents the Islip town centre as it is now and how it is predicted to look in the future after its development .

Overall, at the present the town is much less built up while in the future new development will significantly change the landscape such as the changement of the north part.

at the present the north countryside hold nothing while it is expected to have a bus station, a shopping centre and a car park added to the built of new housing. Furthemore the main road will be replaced by a pedestrians street only. Morover, due to over population new housing and a park will take place on the east of the old housing that will remain exactly the same further fromthe old school and housing that remain outside of the dual carriageway which circle the entire activ cenntre of the town.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the two maps and give a broad overview that the town will become more developed, with major changes in the north. You also report several accurate features, including the bus station, shopping centre, car park, pedestrian-only street and dual-carriageway loop. However, the account is partial and some details are unclear or inaccurate: the countryside is not simply an area that “hold[s] nothing,” and the new housing is not all east of the existing housing. You also omit important changes, such as the bus station and shopping centre replacing northern shops, and the park becoming smaller. The response is 146 words, below the required 150. Add a fuller, more precise comparison of the main changes and ensure the summary meets the minimum length.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph describing planned changes. The ideas are generally relevant, and linking expressions such as “Overall” and “while” show an attempt to connect information. However, the response has no clear paragraph break between the overview and the details, and the final sentence is overloaded with several changes, making their relationships difficult to follow. Connectors such as “Furthermore” and “Moreover” are used, but they do not create a clear sequence of locations or comparisons. Organise the details into a logical route—for example, north of the pedestrian street, then south of it—and use shorter sentences with clear references to existing and planned features.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant map vocabulary, including “countryside,” “bus station,” “shopping centre,” “car park,” “pedestrians” and “dual carriageway.” This gives the reader a basic understanding of the proposed development. However, the range is limited, and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “the north countryside hold nothing,” “added to the built of new housing,” and “the entire activ cenntre.” There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “changement,” “Furthemore” and “Morover,” which reduce clarity and control. Use precise terms for map changes, such as “is replaced by,” “is located to the east of,” and “remains unchanged,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast with “while” and a clause beginning “that remain outside.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make parts difficult to interpret. For example, “at the present the north countryside hold nothing” has problems with the opening phrase and subject–verb agreement, while “the old school and housing that remain” has unclear agreement and reference. The long final sentence also lacks clear grammatical control and punctuation. Practise forming accurate comparisons in separate sentences, checking subject–verb agreement and verb forms, and using full stops to prevent several ideas from running together.

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