Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-21

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 compare the centre of a small town known as Islip it is now and layout development for future.

Overall, the town future plan consists of several changes, main road convert into dual carriageway road and shops on countryside replace by a bus station, a shopping centre, a car park and a new housing. Whereas, middle road between shops convert into pedestrians walk and the new housing add near the school. Subsequently, other locations remained unchange.

In detail, the Islip town centre road link east and west side convert into dual carrigeway shape road which links all the facilities. The shops on the north side replace by the bus station, a shopping centre, a car park and new housing. Furthermore, middle road between shops change into pedestrians walk. Similarly, housing on the south and west side now have a road junction and new parking on the north east side also have a link road from main road. Moreover, other locations remain the same in the development plan.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main transformation: the east–west route becomes a dual carriageway, the northern shops are replaced by transport and retail facilities, and the central street becomes pedestrian-only. This gives the response a relevant overview and addresses the comparison between the present and planned layouts. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the shops are not described as being “on countryside,” and the new housing is not near the school; it is shown north-east of the car park and south of the pedestrian street. The plan also retains the southern shops and school, while the park is reduced and housing remains in some areas. Clarifying these changes and distinguishing what remains from what is replaced would make the account more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an overview to a paragraph of details, and it uses linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Furthermore,” and “Moreover.” The main changes are generally grouped together, so the reader can follow the broad comparison. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical: several sentences begin with “The shops” or “Moreover,” and “other locations remained unchange” is repeated without specifying which locations. Some relationships are also difficult to follow, particularly the sentence about housing, a road junction, and parking. Organise the details by area—for example, north of the pedestrian street, then south of it—and use clearer references to the map features to improve progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant map vocabulary, including “dual carriageway,” “bus station,” “shopping centre,” “car park,” and “pedestrians walk,” which helps convey the planned facilities. There is some variety in verbs such as “replace,” “convert,” and “remain,” but several choices are inaccurate or awkward for describing maps. “Shops on countryside” misrepresents the location, while “pedestrians walk” is not the natural label for a street reserved for pedestrians. Spelling errors such as “carrigeway” and “unchange” also reduce precision. Aim for accurate collocations and forms such as “shops to the north,” “pedestrianised street,” and “remain unchanged”; these would make the description clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast with “Whereas” and a sequence introduced by “which.” However, errors in sentence construction and verb forms are frequent enough to make some statements difficult to interpret. The opening sentence lacks a clear grammatical connection between “Islip” and “it is now,” and “main road convert into dual carriageway road” needs a correctly formed passive construction. Other examples include “the new housing add” and “other locations remain the same in the development plan,” where tense or agreement is not controlled consistently. Practise complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and use past/present forms consistently when comparing the current map with the proposed plan.

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