Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-10

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The two maps below show road access to a city hospital in 2007 and 2010.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons wherever relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The maps compared the changes that occurred on the road which led to the city hospital in 2007 and 2010.

As you can see from the map, the city developed major changes over period. Moreover, the city road in the southeast remain unchanged. There are new facilities were added. For example, two roundabout added and reduce bus stops.

In general, in 2010, ring road remain in same position as in 2007. In addition, the place of city hospital remained in the same position. Moreover, the public car park located in east and the staff car park as same in 2007. Also, gives two round circle to bus station and hospital road.

There were two roundabouts. One was in the center of the map and another one was in the south of the place. The bus stops were removed and replaced by a big bus station on the left of the map.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the maps, such as the addition of roundabouts and the new bus station. However, the description is somewhat superficial. For example, the mention of 'two roundabouts' is accurate, but the location of these features is described vaguely. The report lacks a clear overview that synthesizes the most significant changes, such as the shift from a bus stop system to a centralized bus station. While the task is addressed, the lack of precise detail regarding the road layout changes limits the development of the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'Moreover' and 'In addition' are used frequently but do not always connect ideas logically. For instance, the transition 'Also, gives two round circle to bus station' is grammatically disjointed and lacks a clear link to the previous sentence. The progression of information is somewhat repetitive, particularly when discussing the hospital and car park locations, which could have been grouped more effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. The student relies on basic terms like 'major changes', 'same position', and 'big'. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'two round circle' instead of 'roundabouts' and 'the city developed major changes over period'. The range of vocabulary is just sufficient to describe the maps, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band score. More specific terminology related to urban planning or map description would improve the quality of the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'There are new facilities were added', 'two roundabout added', and 'the staff car park as same in 2007'. There is a lack of control over verb tenses and sentence structure. While the student attempts some complex sentences, they are often faulty, such as 'The maps compared the changes that occurred on the road which led to the city hospital'. Simple sentence structures are more common, but even these contain errors in subject-verb agreement and article usage.

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

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