Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-10-09
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 shows that the fish market will be replaced by a supermarket and the history museum will be converted to a local artists' gallery. Consequently, near the fountain, there will be plant beds which will replace the bandstand. There will also be a children's playground near the fountain. Beside the playground, there will be numerous shops which will replace the administrative builidings. The library and the fish restuarant will be converted to bars and restuarants.The picture also depicts that there will be covered seating in the middle space where people can sit and watch the fountain while keeping an eye on their children. This picture holistically shows how a boring neighbourhood is converted to a place where kids can have a playground for their activities, people in the neighborhood can go to convenience stores for grocery shopping, entertainment and for their night life, there are bars and restuarants.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify several important changes, including the supermarket replacing the fish market, the gallery replacing the history museum, and shops taking the place of the administrative buildings. However, some details are inaccurate: the plant beds do not replace the bandstand; they are in the northern part of the square, while the playground replaces the bandstand’s location. You also say the library and fish restaurant will become bars and restaurants, but the plan shows the western and southern perimeter buildings divided into bars and restaurants, without specifying that the library itself is converted. The response lacks a clear overview of the main pattern of change and adds unsupported opinions about the area being “boring” and its future uses. It is also one word below the required minimum. Cover the main changes more accurately and objectively.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response presents a sequence of changes, and linking expressions such as “Consequently,” “There will also be,” and “Beside the playground” help connect some details. However, it is written as one paragraph, with no clear separation between an overview and specific comparisons. The progression is also difficult to follow because it moves from northern buildings to the fountain, then to shops and perimeter businesses, before ending with a broad personal interpretation. Some links imply relationships that are not shown, such as “Consequently” connecting the gallery change to the plant beds. Organise the response into an introduction and overview followed by a paragraph on the main site changes, and use location-based links to guide the reader around the plan.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “replaced,” “converted,” “covered seating,” and “playground,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. There are, however, spelling errors in “builidings,” “restuarant,” and “restuarants,” and some wording is imprecise or informal for a map summary. For example, “boring neighbourhood” is an unsupported judgement rather than a neutral description, while “convenience stores for grocery shopping” is not a precise account of the labelled shops and supermarket. “Night life” is also an unnecessary interpretation of the bars and restaurants. Aim for accurate, neutral terms and check spelling carefully; this will make your adequate vocabulary more precise and appropriate to the task.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
You use both simple statements and more developed structures, including the relative clause “where people can sit and watch the fountain” and the clause beginning “while keeping an eye on their children.” Most sentences communicate the intended changes, and future forms such as “will be replaced” are generally handled clearly. Some sentence construction and punctuation need attention: “The library and the fish restuarant will be converted to bars and restuarants.The picture” has no space after the full stop, and the final sentence is an awkwardly joined list of ideas, making its grammatical relationships unclear. The long final sentence also shifts into speculative claims. Use shorter, controlled sentences for separate changes and check punctuation and clause connections.
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