Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-23

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 5.0)

The map illustrates some changes islip town center. There is current map and the new develped map. In the old map it shows one slide road linked with school and housing society but in the new map they changed the slide road into dual carriage way which goes around all the islip town center. it helps to commute everywhere easily and the made pedisterian only road in between. the expands the shops area and devides into bus station, shopping center, car park and a new housing linked with dual carriageway. on the other side of the pedistrian road they kept the shops. they make the park a bit smaller than before and extended the area into new housing scheme. Then theres dual carriageway going around the center and another housing society onhave been made. in my opinion i like the idea and the map structure they planning to do. in the new development you can get alot of facilities and developments in the area

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main change: the town centre is reorganised around a dual carriageway, with a pedestrian-only street and new facilities. You also note that the southern shops remain and the park becomes smaller, which are relevant comparisons. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the new bus station, shopping centre and car park replace the northern shops, rather than simply expanding the shops area, and the school and southern housing remain outside the carriageway loop. The response also adds a personal opinion about liking the plan, which is not needed for this map summary. A clearer overview of the major changes, followed by precise descriptions of what is retained, replaced and added, would make the account more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response follows a broadly chronological comparison, moving from the existing map to the proposed development, and uses some linking expressions such as “but,” “on the other side” and “then.” However, it is presented as one continuous paragraph, so the overview and supporting details are not clearly separated. Several ideas are joined in long, loosely connected sentences, and references such as “they” and “it” are not always clear. The repeated mention of the dual carriageway also interrupts progression. Organise the response into an introduction, a brief overview, and paragraphs describing the northern and southern areas; use clear links such as “In contrast” and “Meanwhile” to show relationships between features.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant map vocabulary, including “dual carriageway,” “pedestrian only road,” “shops,” “park” and “new housing,” so the reader can identify many of the features being compared. However, the range is limited and several choices are imprecise or informal, such as “housing society,” “a bit smaller,” “facilities and developments” and “in my opinion i like.” Spelling errors in “develped,” “pedisterian” and “devided” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise terms that describe map changes, such as “is replaced by,” “is retained,” “is reduced in size” and “is located to the east of.” Avoid general comments about whether the plan is good, as they do not describe the visual information.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to connect ideas using clauses, for example, “which goes around all the islip town center,” and “the park a bit smaller than before.” However, sentence structures are often incomplete or faulty, and errors sometimes make relationships difficult to follow. For instance, “The map illustrates some changes islip town center” lacks a necessary preposition and article, while “it helps to commute everywhere easily and the made pedisterian only road” has an unclear subject and verb construction. Tense and agreement are also inconsistent, as in “they changed” followed by “they planning to do.” Use complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check articles, verb forms and punctuation. A few accurate complex sentences would improve range as well as clarity.

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