Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-31

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 show the small town Islip town centre now and the planned development. Both maps show the centre with shops, park, housing, and school. Let's focus on the first picture, the town centre has a main road in between teh shops which is very useful for communiters who want to visit the two shops. Behind the shops is the housing for the people and on teh right side is the park which makes since because people especially elders and kids like to play and be at the park. Near the housing the is a school which is pretty convenient for parents and school-aged children. All places are accessible by car or by walking. Now, let's proceed to the second map which is the future of Islip. There are new buildings to be built. First, a pedestrian passage and this the most important park because thorugh this road people can directly access almost everything in one go, they can go to the bus station, shopping centre, car park, different shops and evenr to their houses in a safer way. As the map shows more houses are aded for increasing community.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the two maps and mention several relevant features, including the shops, park, housing, school, pedestrian route, bus station and shopping centre. However, the response only partially summarises the plans: it does not give a clear overview of the main changes, such as the dual-carriageway loop, the conversion of the central road to pedestrian use, or the replacement of northern shops with new facilities. Some details are inaccurate or unsupported: the first map does not show two shops, and the pedestrian street is not described as a “park.” Comments about convenience for parents, older people and children, and access by car or on foot are not established by the maps. Focus on comparing the layouts and reporting the most significant changes objectively.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence: it introduces the existing town, describes that map, and then moves to the planned development. Phrases such as “First” and “Now, let's proceed” help signal this movement. However, the organisation is not consistently suited to a map summary: the long first paragraph mixes location details with personal explanations, while the second gives a list of facilities without clearly grouping changes by area. Some links are awkward or unclear, particularly “First, a pedestrian passage and this the most important park,” which makes the relationship between the features difficult to follow. Use a concise overview followed by separate, logically grouped comparisons of the northern and southern areas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant map vocabulary, including “main road,” “housing,” “pedestrian passage,” “bus station” and “shopping centre,” so the reader can recognise several features. However, the range is limited and some choices are imprecise or informal for an academic report. “The most important park” appears to confuse the pedestrian street with the park, while “in one go” and “pretty convenient” sound conversational rather than descriptive. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “teh,” “communitiers,” “thorugh,” “evenr” and “aded,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for precise location and change vocabulary, such as “north of,” “is replaced by,” and “is retained,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, and some sentences communicate their meaning clearly, such as “Both maps show the centre with shops, park, housing, and school.” However, control is uneven, especially in longer constructions. For example, “First, a pedestrian passage and this the most important park because…” is a sentence fragment with a faulty connection between clauses. In “Near the housing the is a school,” the word order is incorrect, and “As the map shows more houses are aded for increasing community” lacks clear grammatical structure. Commas also join independent ideas in places, as in “the town centre has a main road … which is very useful.” Practise complete sentences and use clear clause boundaries.

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