Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-13

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 isslurate the mid point the short twon called lslip as it now, In future the plan lslip town centre constructed.

Overall, now in the lslip town centre some shopes park school but in future planned more shopping centre, car park, bus station and inclouding more planning.

Now, The south side in lslip town centre a housing and westh souther corner a school. In the north uper area a countryside and mid of lslip town centre a housing, parks and waying a road. Road oppsite side a many shops.

Another hand, when i planned development the lislip town centre a very changecs like: bus station, shopping centre and car park. Car park oppsite area many shops and more buildes the new housing. Islip town centre around the road, North way a school nad housing near the road westh side a dual carriageway. Park are develop inner the islip town centre clos the road.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the two maps as showing Islip now and after development, and you mention several genuine changes, including the bus station, shopping centre, car park and new housing. However, the overview is vague: “more planning” does not explain the main transformation, especially the pedestrian-only central street and the dual-carriageway loop. Some locations are also misreported or unclear. For example, the school is south of the town centre, not in its southwest corner, and the future school and existing housing remain outside the loop. The response therefore selects relevant features but does not describe their positions or comparisons consistently. To strengthen it, give a precise overview and organise the main changes by area, accurately contrasting what is retained, replaced and added.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is an attempt to organise the response into an introduction, an overview and descriptions of the present and planned layouts. Phrases such as “Overall” and “Another hand” signal a change in focus, but the progression within paragraphs is difficult to follow. The present-day description jumps between housing, the school, countryside, park and shops without a clear route or grouping. The future description similarly combines facilities and road locations in sentences whose relationships are unclear. Some linking expressions are inaccurate or repetitive, and references such as “oppsite area” do not make clear which place is meant. Group details consistently—for example, north of the central street, then south of it—and use simple, accurate transitions to make the comparison easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses some task-relevant vocabulary, including “countryside,” “housing,” “bus station,” “shopping centre” and “dual carriageway,” so the reader can recognise several map features. However, the range is basic and many spelling and word-choice errors make the description difficult to understand: “isslurate,” “shopes,” “inclouding” and “buildes” obscure intended words, while “more planning” is too vague to describe a map change. Phrases such as “mid point” and “waying a road” are not natural or precise in this context. Aim to use accurate map vocabulary and collocations, such as “town centre,” “pedestrianised street,” “surrounded by” and “located to the east of.” Proofreading spelling would also improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0

You attempt to form connected sentences and use time contrasts, as in “now” and “in future,” but grammatical control is very limited. Errors in sentence structure, verbs, articles and agreement frequently make relationships between features unclear. For example, “The south side in lslip town centre a housing” has no clear verb, while “when i planned development” uses an incorrect subject and tense for describing a plan. “Park are develop” also has faulty agreement and verb form. Most sentences rely on basic patterns, and punctuation and capitalisation are inconsistent. Practise complete subject–verb sentences in the present and future passive, such as “The shops will be replaced by a shopping centre,” and check articles, plurals and verb forms in each sentence.

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