Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-09-18

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 5.0)

The map illustrates the surrounding area of town in 2014 and its development plan which is estimated to be completed by the year 2020.

Overall, the town developed with increase amount of mini shops, supermarket and bars and restaurants. Both fountain and town hall remain same in the same place.

History museum was demolished into local artists' gallery. Moreover, administrative buildings were built into mini shops. The library and fish restaurant were fully destroyed and constructed into bars and restaurants in the year 2020. Two covered seating were built above bars and restaurants followed by children playground.

The fish market joined with history museum was built into supermarket followed with the development of two plant beds below the supermarket in 2020. The bandstand below town hall was fully demolished without any changes in that specific area.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to summarise the main features of the maps comparing 2014 and 2020. An overall trend is provided, noting the expansion of commercial facilities like shops, supermarkets, and bars and restaurants, and identifying that the fountain and town hall remain in the same location. However, the response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, coming in at only 136 words, which negatively impacts task fulfilment. Furthermore, some descriptive details are inaccurate or confusingly phrased, such as stating the history museum was 'demolished into local artists' gallery' or that the bandstand was 'fully demolished without any changes in that specific area'. To achieve a higher band, the student must write a fully developed response meeting the length requirement and ensuring all spatial transformations are reported with greater accuracy.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is organised into brief paragraphs attempting to group related changes, starting with an introduction and overview, followed by specific transformations on the west and east sides. However, paragraphing is underdeveloped due to the short length of the text. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes repetitive or awkward, such as starting multiple sentences with 'Moreover' or relying on simple chronological transitions. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in phrases like 'The fish market joined with history museum was built into supermarket'. While there is a basic logical flow from 2014 to 2020 developments, the overall cohesive structure requires more sophisticated linking words and clearer referencing to guide the reader smoothly through the spatial comparison.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student uses an adequate basic vocabulary related to the task, including terms like 'supermarket', 'fountain', 'town hall', 'history museum', and 'playground'. However, lexical range is limited and repetition occurs, such as reusing 'bars and restaurants' and 'built into'. There are noticeable inappropriate word choices and collocations, such as 'increase amount of mini shops', 'demolished into', and 'fully destroyed and constructed into'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but lexical errors and unnatural phrasings occasionally cause slight confusion for the reader. To improve, the student should incorporate a wider variety of synonyms and more precise verbs for architectural and urban changes, such as 'replaced by', 'converted into', or 'transformed into'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The text displays a mix of simple and moderately complex sentence structures, such as passive voice constructions ('were built into', 'were fully destroyed'). However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors, including missing articles ('increase amount of mini shops', 'children playground'), incorrect prepositions ('remain same in the same place'), and awkward passive formations ('History museum was demolished into local artists' gallery'). Complex structures are often prone to errors that occasionally strain comprehension. To reach a higher band, the student needs to demonstrate better control over article usage, prepositional phrases, and more varied, accurate complex sentence patterns.

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

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