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 map is showing a minimal detail of a small town called Islip. According to this map, there is a main road in this town. There is countryside on north side and residential area on south side of the main road. The main road has shops on its north and south side. The shops are covering equal area on either side of the main road. This town has a park that is connected to main road on east side. The west side of the main road is connected to another road that leads to a school.
The second map is showing the planned map of this town.In planned development, the road for vehicles traffic has bypassed the city. The road running aling south side of the town is dual carriageway. The planned map has also included allocation of space for new housing, car parking, shopping center and bus station. The planned development seems a good initiative.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
You identify several accurate features of the existing town, including the east–west main road, shops on both sides, the park to the east, and the school reached by a western side road. However, the response only minimally covers the planned map, which is a major part of the task. It mentions a bypass and the addition of housing, parking, a shopping centre and bus station, but does not explain their locations or the key changes: the central street becomes pedestrian-only, the northern shops are replaced, and the southern shops remain. The claim that the dual carriageway runs along the south side is incomplete, as it forms a loop around the centre. A clearer overview of the main transformation and more precise comparisons are needed.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a basic, understandable sequence: it describes the current map first and then introduces the planned development. The paragraph break helps distinguish the two maps, and phrases such as “The second map” signal the shift. However, the description reads mainly as a list of separate observations, with limited comparison or progression between present and future features. The repeated openings “There is” and “The planned map” also make the linking somewhat mechanical. Some connections are unclear, particularly “The road running aling south side,” which does not clearly relate to the earlier description of the bypass. Grouping changes by area—north of the central street, south of it, and around the perimeter—would make the information easier to follow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use enough basic map vocabulary to communicate several features, including “main road,” “residential area,” “dual carriageway,” and “allocation of space.” However, the range is limited and some choices are imprecise or unnatural for describing plans. “Minimal detail” does not clearly express what the map shows, while “the road for vehicles traffic has bypassed the city” is awkward and does not accurately describe the planned loop. There are also spelling errors, including “aling,” and inconsistent forms such as “shopping center” alongside British-style “centre” in the task. Aim for precise location and change vocabulary, such as “to the north of,” “is replaced by,” and “remains in place,” while checking spelling and collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
Most sentences are simple and their meaning is generally understandable, but the response shows a narrow range of sentence structures and some recurring grammatical inaccuracies. For example, “on north side” and “on its north and south side” need articles or more natural plural phrasing, while “connected to main road” also omits an article. The sentence “The road running aling south side of the town is dual carriageway” has several missing grammatical elements, including articles, and its structure makes the intended location unclear. There is some use of longer forms, such as “The west side of the main road is connected to another road that leads to a school,” but more accurate complex sentences would help. Check articles, prepositions, and sentence punctuation when revising.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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