Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-10-08

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 plans illusrtate the development of a town square and surrounding area that how it used to look like before and how it looks after the development in the year of 2014 and 2020.

Overall, the town square and surrounding area underwent considerable development during the period. Some new facilities were added however, existing areas or facilities were removed or replaced.

The most noticeable changes was on the northern side. Initially, a fish market and a town hall was on the northern side. Western side had a library and a history museum. Southern side had a fish restaurant and a bar section. Eastern side had administrative buildings.

After the development of town square and surrounding area some new facilities were added while, other existing were replaced or removed. A fish market was replaced by a supermaket area along with that, plant beds were added however, there were no changes with the town hall section on the southern side. A fountain and a playground for children were built in the middle of the town square. A local artist's gallery were opened on the western side which replaced history museum and library. Along with that, on the eastern side local shops were built which replaced administrative buildings.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad change from a market-and-service square to one with new commercial and leisure facilities, and you note several accurate replacements, including the fish market becoming a supermarket and the administrative buildings becoming shops. However, the account is only partial and some details are inaccurate or unclear. The fountain was retained, not newly built, and the playground was east of it rather than in the middle. The gallery replaced the history museum only; the library remained. The statement that the town hall was on the southern side is also incorrect. Your overview is general, and important changes such as the covered seating and the conversion of the southern buildings into bars and restaurants are omitted. More precise comparisons would make the main features clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable paragraph structure: an introduction, an overview, a description of the original layout, and a final paragraph about the development. This gives the reader some organisation, and phrases such as “Initially” and “After the development” help signal the time comparison. However, progression is not consistently clear because the final paragraph repeats the idea that facilities were added or replaced, already stated in the overview. Several details are grouped loosely by direction, and the sentence about the town hall being “on the southern side” makes the spatial reference confusing. Linking words such as “however” and “along with that” are sometimes awkwardly placed or repetitive. Organise the changes by area or by what remained, was replaced, and was added, and use clearer references between sentences.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant map vocabulary, including “development,” “replaced,” “facilities,” “northern side,” and “administrative buildings,” so the reader can follow the general subject. However, the range is limited and several phrases are repetitive or imprecise, such as “some new facilities were added” and “existing areas or facilities were removed or replaced.” There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, including “illusrtate,” “supermaket,” and “artist's gallery” where the map labels a local artists’ gallery. Some collocations are unnatural, for example “a bar section” and “town square and surrounding area that how it used to look like.” Aim for concise, accurate map language and vary verbs such as “remained,” “was converted into,” and “was replaced by.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple statements and longer sentences with contrast, but the range is limited and errors occur frequently enough to make some relationships difficult to follow. For example, the opening sentence, “that how it used to look like,” is not grammatically complete, and “The most noticeable changes was” has a subject–verb agreement error. Agreement problems also appear in “a fish market and a town hall was” and “A local artist's gallery were opened.” The sentence beginning “A fish market was replaced … along with that” combines clauses without clear grammatical control, while “there were no changes with the town hall section” uses an unclear construction. Practise accurate past-tense descriptions, agreement with singular and plural subjects, and punctuation in sentences joined by contrast.

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

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