Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-15

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 maps illustrate the current layout of Islip town center and the proposed changes for its future development.

Overall, the town center will look completely different, with a new ring road and more facilities like a bus station and a shopping center, while the main road will become a pedestrians road.

The school is located in the south west, The bus station, shopping center, car park is located in the north and new housing is located in the east and the park is located in the middle of south and east.

In future development , A dual carriageway will be built around the town. A new bus station and car park will be added in the north. The main road change into ring road, Inside the ring road the new shops are opened and the road of main road change into pedestrians only and. The park near the new housing and housing place

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad change from a conventional main road to a pedestrian street with a surrounding dual carriageway, and you mention several planned facilities. These are relevant main features. However, the account is only partial: the overview says the town will look “completely different,” but does not explain that the southern shops and the school remain, or that the park becomes smaller. Some locations are unclear or inaccurate: the bus station, shopping centre and car park are arranged west to east north of the pedestrian street, while the new housing is in the northeast and also south of the shops. The final sentence is unfinished, and the comparison with the current map is limited. Include the key retained and replaced features in a clearer overview and describe their positions precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response, beginning with an introduction and an overview before describing planned changes. This gives the reader a general sense of the topic. However, progression is weak because the description repeats information from the overview and then shifts between locations without a clear route through the map. The sentence listing “The bus station, shopping center, car park” is difficult to follow, and the final phrase, “the park near the new housing and housing place,” does not form a complete idea. Linking is also limited, with “Overall” and “In future development” doing most of the work. Group the information by north and south, and use clear comparisons to connect the present and planned layouts.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “dual carriageway,” “pedestrians only,” “bus station,” and “proposed changes.” These terms help communicate the main development and show some awareness of map-description language. However, several phrases are imprecise or repetitive: “the main road change into ring road” does not clearly distinguish the new outer route from the pedestrianised central street, and “the park near the new housing” gives little spatial detail. “Pedestrians road” is also an unnatural collocation. Aim for more precise location and change vocabulary, such as “to the north of,” “will be replaced by,” and “will be retained.” Check spelling consistency for “centre/center” and “shopping centre/center”; either variety is acceptable if used consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response includes some complete simple sentences, such as “The maps illustrate the current layout of Islip town center and the proposed changes for its future development.” However, grammatical control is uneven, and several errors make relationships between features difficult to understand. For example, “The main road change into ring road” lacks the correct verb form and article, while “the road of main road change into pedestrians only and” is an incomplete, poorly formed clause. The list beginning “The bus station, shopping center, car park is located” also has a subject–verb agreement problem and unclear sentence structure. Punctuation and capitalisation are inconsistent, including the capital letter after a comma in “south west, The.” Practise accurate future forms and complete sentences before attempting longer descriptions.

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