Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-09-07

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The diagram below shows a town square and surrounding area in 2014 and the plans for development of the area to be completed by 2020. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The Diagram illustrates a town square and surrounding area in 2014 and the development scheme of the area to be completed by 2020.

Overall, the diagram describes the map of town square building in 2014 and after development scheme in 2020. The modifications which were made in 2014 building includes the addition of local artists' gallery, plant beds, children's playground, a supermarket and covered seating after 2020 development plan.

According to the building map of 2014,there were four sideways around the town square in which there was a history museum and library on each sides of entrance gate opposite to each other. A fountain was built in center and a bandstand at the left corner of central area whereas the fish market and town hall were located in at left side of entrance gate just after history museum present in front of each other. There was also a fish restaurant and bar on right side of entrance and there were administrative buildings at the back side of town square.

then after development by 2020, the history museum was replaced by local artists' gallery library was converted into bars and restaurants whereas, the plant beds, covering seats and the children playground were added in the central area. Furthermore, the fish market is also replaced by supermarket and there is addition of shops at the backside by eradicating the administrative buildings.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the map comparison well. You successfully identified the key changes, such as the replacement of the history museum and the addition of new facilities. However, the description of the 2014 layout is somewhat cluttered and lacks a clear, systematic approach to spatial description. While you mention the main modifications, the overview could be more concise and focused on the most significant trends rather than listing every single change. To reach a higher band, ensure that the comparison between the two time periods is more integrated, rather than describing the 2014 map and the 2020 plan in two separate, disconnected blocks.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the changes. You use some cohesive devices like 'furthermore' and 'whereas' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing and repetitive sentence structures. For instance, the transition between the 2014 description and the 2020 development could be smoother. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as the phrase 'in front of each other' which makes it difficult for the reader to visualize the exact location of the buildings. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring clearer spatial references would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'modifications', 'development scheme', and 'eradicating'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and minor collocation errors, such as 'sideways around the town square' (likely meaning 'sides' or 'paths') and 'building map'. Some phrasing is slightly unnatural, such as 'at left side of entrance gate'. To improve, focus on using more precise geographical and descriptive vocabulary, such as 'situated to the west of' or 'replaced by', and ensure that your terminology for the map features is accurate and consistent throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt to use complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the' town square, 'a' history museum) and prepositions ('in center', 'at left side'). There are also some punctuation issues, such as missing spaces after commas (e.g., '2014,there'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles would significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.