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 map show us the center of Islip town, and tell us the plans for its development.

The Islip town centre now have a single Main road and have shops on both sides, north and south of the main road while road is on east and west direcion. In south-east direction there is a path goes to park from main road. On the south of southern shops there are houses and if we go more toward south there are another housing there. In southern west direction there is a school to which a path is coming from main road alongside with shops and then rotate a little toward east. while on north side shops there is countryside on north of that shops.

In future plans there are many changes. they keep southern side shops same, but they change north side. There they remove the shops. From west side they first place bus station there, second from west side they plan shooping centre, Then after this they place car parking then new housing in eastern side. And in southern side os south shops they first plac housing from west, and toward east new housing and then in eastern side a park.

They also remove the main road from middle and there is pedestrians only. While they construct dual carriageway around that town centre and attached with main roads on west and east. while in southern side of dual carriageway the school and housing are there.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main contrast between the existing layout and the proposed redevelopment, including the pedestrian-only central street, the dual carriageway, and the new facilities north of it. However, the account is only partly complete and some locations are unclear or inaccurate. For example, you say the school is in the “southern west direction” and later that it is south of the carriageway; the school actually remains outside the loop to the south. You also describe housing “in southern side of dual carriageway” without distinguishing the retained western housing from the new housing in the middle. A clearer overview of the major changes, followed by accurate comparisons of what is retained, replaced, and added, would make the report more fully address the map.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall structure: it describes the present map first and the planned development afterwards, which helps the reader follow the comparison. Some sequencing is also clear in phrases such as “first place bus station” and “second from west side.” However, progression within paragraphs is uneven, and several long sentences combine multiple locations without clear boundaries. The repeated use of “while,” “and,” and “then” makes connections mechanical, while references such as “there” and “that shops” are not always precise. Organise the details into clearer groups—for example, northern changes, southern changes, and road access—and use more varied linking and referencing to make the relationships easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant map vocabulary, including “Main road,” “shops,” “housing,” “bus station,” “pedestrians only,” and “dual carriageway,” so the reader can identify many of the features. There is some attempt to describe position and sequence, but the range is limited and several expressions are imprecise or awkward, such as “rotate a little toward east” and “car parking.” Spelling errors, including “direcion,” “shooping,” and “plac,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for concise, conventional map language and check spelling carefully. More precise terms for location and change would help you report the plan clearly without relying repeatedly on “there,” “side,” and “then.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, but control is inconsistent, particularly when clauses are joined to describe several features. Errors occur in basic sentence forms, as in “The map show us” and “The Islip town centre now have,” where subject–verb agreement is missing. Other examples include “there is a path goes to park” and “they first plac housing,” which need clearer clause structure and articles. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, especially where a new sentence begins with “while.” Practise accurate simple sentences first, then connect them with subordinate clauses using correct verb forms and punctuation. This would make the information easier to understand.

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