Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)
The given diagram illustrates the center of a small town that was going to be developed in the future compared to the present.
To begin with, the small town centre was going to be developed in the future, with the same areas. In the countryside, there were only a few shops. In the future, it was built up with several areas. A bus station, shopping center, car park, and new housing. After that, it might be developed behind the area of shops, where new housing is developed. The road will be developed in the future compared to what is used now
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response identifies the broad topic—a present town centre and a future redevelopment—and names several planned facilities, including a bus station, shopping centre, car park and new housing. However, it reports the maps only minimally and leaves out the main comparisons that would explain the plan: the pedestrian-only central street, the dual-carriageway loop, the retained southern shops, and changes to the park and housing. The statement that there were “only a few shops” in the countryside misreads the map: the countryside is north of the shops, not an area containing shops. There is no clear overview of the most important changes. The response is also 49 words below the required minimum, which contributes to its limited coverage. Describe the present layout and planned changes accurately and include a concise overview.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0
There is a basic attempt to move from the present situation to future development, and phrases such as “To begin with” and “In the future” signal time. However, the response is not organised into a clear overview and supporting details, and the sequence of information is difficult to follow. For example, “After that, it might be developed behind the area of shops” does not make clear which location or feature is meant, while the final sentence about the road is too vague to connect the changes. The short, disconnected statements also leave relationships between features unexplained. Group the current layout in one section and the planned changes in another, then use precise references such as “north of” and “to the east” to guide the reader.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary is sufficient to identify some map features, including “bus station,” “shopping center,” “car park,” “shops” and “housing.” However, the range is limited and several expressions are vague or repetitive, particularly “developed in the future” and “several areas.” “In the countryside, there were only a few shops” also uses “countryside” inaccurately for the area shown north of the shops, making the description misleading. More precise map language would help distinguish locations and changes, such as “replaced by,” “retained,” “expanded” and “surrounded by.” Use consistent spelling conventions, too: the map uses “centre,” while the response uses “center.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response uses mostly simple sentence patterns, with a few attempts to link ideas, but control is uneven. The fragment “A bus station, shopping center, car park, and new housing” is not a complete sentence and should be joined to the preceding clause. Tense and sentence construction are also unclear in “After that, it might be developed behind the area of shops, where new housing is developed,” and “The road will be developed … compared to what is used now” does not clearly express the intended comparison. The opening sentence is understandable, but “was going to be developed” is an awkward way to describe a plan shown on a map. Practise complete sentences and use consistent present and future forms, for example, “The shops will be replaced by a bus station, a shopping centre and a car park.”
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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