Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-14

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 two maps illustrate the layout of the center of a small town called Islip as it is present and the proposed changes to be made by for its planned development.

Overall, it can be seen that the Islip town is a set to undergo significant redevelopment; with new facilities added and existing features to upgraded enhance the view of town.

To commence, at the moment the town is simple layout park between east and southern part. However, the school is located on southern area which surrounded by Housing. In addition, between north and south there are four major parts namely disparity to the two shops their are main road which initiate from west and ended with east sid. As a result of, the Countryside is located on the northern upper side.

On the other hand, several transformation will developed the planned remove the Countryside from north area and added a Dual carriageway whcih make big circle road on it. Consequently, under the round in the uperr north side their will be four major sector development such as Bus station, Shopping center, Car park and new part New housing between north and east. Following this after down the Pedestrians only with joining Shops. Furthermore, on south side on left their will be Housing and opposite of right New housing and Park. It is noticeable that in southern area the School which remain constant over the year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the maps as showing Islip before and after redevelopment, and your overview correctly signals substantial change and the addition of facilities. You also report several relevant features, including the pedestrian-only street, the new northern facilities, and the school remaining in place. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the school is not surrounded by housing in the current map, and the planned dual carriageway does not form a circle around the whole town centre; it loops around much of it, while the school and southern housing remain outside. The countryside’s removal and the southern shops’ retention could also be stated more precisely. To strengthen the response, compare the two maps systematically and describe the main changes accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview, and separate descriptions of the current and planned layouts. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression within the paragraphs is often difficult to follow, particularly in phrases such as “between north and south there are four major parts namely disparity” and “Following this after down the Pedestrians only with joining Shops.” Some linking expressions, including “As a result of” and “Consequently,” do not clearly show the relationship between the details. Organise each map description by location—for example, north of the central street, then south—and use simpler, more precise transitions. Clearer referencing would help readers understand which features are being compared.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant map vocabulary, including “redevelopment,” “Dual carriageway,” “Bus station,” and “Pedestrians only,” which helps identify key features. However, the range is limited and several word choices or combinations are inaccurate or unclear, such as “the town is a set to undergo,” “big circle road,” and “four major sector development.” Spelling errors such as “whcih” and “uperr” also reduce accuracy. Some labels are repeated without enough precise language to explain their position or change. Build a bank of accurate terms for describing maps, such as “located to the north of,” “replaced by,” and “remains unchanged,” and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “which” and “However,” but control is inconsistent. Errors occur in verb forms and sentence construction: “the town is a set to undergo,” “several transformation will developed,” and “the School which remain constant” do not form accurate grammatical patterns. There are also problems with articles, agreement, and prepositions, as in “on southern area” and “between north and south there are four major parts.” These errors sometimes make the intended relationships difficult to understand. Practise building accurate present-simple descriptions of the existing map and future forms for the plan, then check each sentence for a clear subject, verb, and complete clause.

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