Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-10-13

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 maps illustrate changes to a town square and its outskirts from the year 2014 and the future advancements which would be completed in 2020. Overall, the maps show several changes which would be done in these years, for instance, many resturants, bars and shops would be installed in the developed region.

In the year 2014, the town square contained a fountain at the center and a bandstand at the open space, located in the center of the square. A bar and a fish resturant was present at the south of the fountain, moreover, an administrative building was present at the east of the fountain. A town hall was present across the bandstand, whereas, a fish market was locted parallal to it. A history museum and library were situated at the western region of the fountain.

Several changes would be done in town square until 2020, these modifications include installing plant beds at the north of the fountain, inside the open space.Two covered seatings and a children playground would also be installed there near the fountain. The fish market would be replaced by the supermarket, however, the town hall would remain the same. History museum would be modified to local artists' gallary. Administrative building would be relaced by shops, on the other hand, fish resturant and bar would be increased in number.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important changes, including the replacement of the fish market by a supermarket, the conversion of the history museum into an artists’ gallery, and the retention of the town hall and central fountain. However, the overview is broad and does not clearly summarise the main transformation of the square. Some details are inaccurate or unclear: the bandstand was north-east of the fountain, not “in the center,” and the bar and fish restaurant were on the southern edge, rather than simply south of the fountain. The planned plant beds were in the northern part of the square, but their position is described imprecisely. To strengthen the response, give a clearer overview and report the locations and changes more precisely, including the covered seating and playground.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: it introduces the maps, describes the 2014 layout, and then outlines the planned changes. This gives the reader a basic progression through the information. However, some linking is mechanical or awkward, particularly “moreover,” “whereas,” and “on the other hand,” which do not always express the relationships between features accurately. The long second paragraph also groups several locations together without a clear spatial order, making the description harder to follow. For example, the town hall, fish market, museum, and library could be organised by moving around the square systematically. Use clearer paragraphing and location-based sequencing, and ensure each connector links ideas that genuinely contrast or add information.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing maps, including “replaced,” “remain,” “situated,” and “modified,” and the reader can generally understand the intended changes. However, the range is somewhat repetitive, with “present” and “would be” used several times, and some choices are imprecise for a map description. “Outskirts” does not accurately describe the area around the square, while “open space” is vague when referring to specific parts of the square. There are also noticeable spelling errors, such as “resturants,” “locted,” “parallal,” and “gallary.” Build a more precise set of location and change verbs, and proofread spelling so these errors do not distract from the information.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of sentence forms, including clauses joined with “whereas” and “however,” and most of the intended meaning remains understandable. There are nevertheless recurring problems with articles, sentence boundaries, and tense or verb patterns. For example, “A bar and a fish resturant was present” has a plural subject but a singular verb, and “Several changes would be done in town square” uses an awkward passive construction and omits an article. The sentence beginning “Several changes would be done…” also runs into “inside the open space.Two covered seatings” without appropriate spacing or punctuation. Use past simple for the 2014 map and consistent future forms for the plan, and check agreement, articles, and punctuation in each sentence.

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

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