Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-10-02

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 illustration gives the information about a town square and its surrounding area in 2014 and the development plan which will be completed by 2020. Overall, there will be addition of shops, restaurants and beauty items in the town and the administrative building will also be removed. At front side the only change will be in market. After development the town will look attractive.

It is evident from the diagram that the fish market will be cconverted into supermarket and history museum will be converted into local artists' gallery. Moreover, the library will also split up into other shops. At the place of fish restaurant and bars more bars and restaurants will be addes.

Furthermore, more shops will be built at the place of administrative building. The town hall and fountain will be remained at their place. But there will be addition of plant beds, children's playground and covered seating.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the task partially by outlining some of the main changes shown in the diagrams, such as the conversion of the fish market into a supermarket and the history museum into an art gallery. However, the overview is somewhat vague and underdeveloped, merely stating that the town will look attractive and mentioning the removal of administrative buildings without summarising the broader spatial transformation. Certain details are omitted or insufficiently elaborated, such as the replacement of the library and the layout of the new recreational zones. To reach a higher level, the response would need to present a clearer, more fully developed overview highlighting the most significant spatial shifts across the entire area, rather than jumping straight into fragmented details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic logical arrangement in the response, beginning with an introductory statement, followed by body paragraphs detailing specific transformations. However, overall progression is limited, and the paragraphing is somewhat disjointed, with very brief paragraphs that lack cohesive flow. Cohesive devices are used mechanically or repetitively, such as the frequent reliance on 'Moreover' and 'Furthermore', which leads to choppy transitions between sentences. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in phrases like 'At front side', which create ambiguity regarding spatial orientation. To improve coherence, the writer should ensure smoother transitions between ideas and group related geographical features into more logically structured and balanced paragraphs.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and barely adequate for the task, featuring basic items and frequent inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. Examples include 'will be cconverted', 'split up into other shops', and 'At the place of fish restaurant and bars more bars and restaurants will be addes'. There are also spelling slips, such as 'cconverted' and 'addes', along with awkward phrasing like 'beauty items' which does not accurately reflect the visual data provided. To achieve a higher score, the writer needs to employ a wider range of precise vocabulary and functional task-specific language suited to describing maps and urban development, while exercising greater accuracy in word formation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside a few basic attempts at the passive voice. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing or incorrect articles ('the fish market will be cconverted into supermarket'), faulty prepositions ('will be remained at their place'), and awkward verb forms ('will be addes'). These recurring errors require some effort for the reader to decipher and prevent the sentences from being fully accurate. To move up, the writer must incorporate a wider variety of complex structures with greater control over tense consistency, subject-verb agreement, and articles.

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

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