Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-28

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 maps illustrate the centre of a small town called Islip as it is now, and plans for its future development in lslip town centre and planned development.

Overall, In lsliptown centre now, in all the directions it is giving few facilities, While the lslip town centre planned development they are giving many others facilities during town centre now.

In lslip town centre now, In south is in housing and then south west is school, in north countryside and then south east is in park. And the in the middle of south and south are few resources such as shops, main road, shops, and housing.

In lslip town centre: planned development, first of all, in south gate starting is housing and south west is school and Dual carriageway and the middle of the map are many other features are available in this map like bus station, shopping centre, car park, then pedestrains only, next shops and the north east is new housing and south east are in park. All the amenities plays a very important role in centre of a small town.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the two maps as showing Islip now and after development, and you mention several relevant features, including the shops, main road, bus station, shopping centre, car park, pedestrian-only street and park. However, the overview is vague: saying the plan provides “many others facilities” does not clearly summarise the main changes. Some locations are also misreported or unclear. For example, the school is south of the town centre, not “south west,” and the planned new housing is in the northeast and south-central area, rather than simply “the north east.” The response also omits key changes such as the dual-carriageway loop and the replacement of the northern shops. A clearer overview and more accurate comparisons would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall structure: it introduces the maps, gives a general overview, and then describes the present and planned layouts. This helps the reader recognise the intended comparison. However, progression within the description is difficult to follow because locations are listed in a confusing order, as in “in south is in housing and then south west is school,” and several ideas are joined in long, loosely connected sentences. Repeated openings such as “In lslip town centre” and “first of all” make the organisation feel mechanical. Use separate paragraphs for the current map and the plan, and organise each description consistently from north to south or west to east, using clear linking phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant map vocabulary, including “countryside,” “housing,” “shopping centre,” “car park” and “Dual carriageway,” so the reader can identify several features. However, the range is limited and some phrases are inaccurate or repetitive, such as “many others facilities,” “few resources” and “all the amenities.” These expressions are either unclear or too general for describing a map. There are also spelling and word-form problems, including “lsliptown” and “pedestrains.” Aim for precise terms that describe locations and changes, such as “is situated,” “is replaced by” and “is retained.” This would make the account more natural and help distinguish existing features from planned additions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to combine information using longer sentences, but these structures are often faulty and make relationships between features unclear. For example, “in south is in housing” and “the middle of the map are many other features are available” have problems with sentence structure and subject–verb agreement. Articles and prepositions are also frequently missing or incorrectly used, as in “in north countryside” and “south east are in park.” Capitalisation and punctuation are inconsistent, particularly after “Overall” and in the repeated sentence openings. Build accuracy first with clear simple patterns such as “Housing is located to the south” and “The school remains outside the new road.” Then add longer comparisons once those sentence forms are secure.

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