Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-21

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 sketches illustrates that road entrance to the city hospital between 2007 and 2010. In 2007 there was a city road which had a route to city hospital via hospital road. That route called as Hospital road which straight goes city hospital. There was a road known as Ring Road which turns around the city hospital. A car parking for hospital staff and public was available which can be accessible via right side of hospital road. In contrast to 2010 the map has been totally updated. City road has a roundabout and but hospital road is still same as it is in 2007, but on left side of hospital road there is a bus station and right has car parking only for hospital staff.

Hospital road goes straight to one more roundabout, from this point there are two ways, one right way goes to public car parking and left way goes to ring road which is again turns around the city hospital.

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, the bus station, and the changes to car parking. However, the overview is missing; a summary should highlight the most significant changes, such as the increased complexity of the road network and the separation of parking facilities. The description of the 2010 map is somewhat confusing, particularly the explanation of the new roundabouts and the access routes. While the key information is present, the lack of a clear overview and some imprecise descriptions of the spatial layout prevent this from reaching a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into two paragraphs, but the logical flow is hindered by repetitive sentence structures and a lack of cohesive devices. For example, the transition between the 2007 and 2010 descriptions is abrupt. The use of referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'that route called as Hospital road which straight goes city hospital'. The paragraphing is insufficient; a more effective approach would be to have an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on specific areas or changes. Better use of linking words like 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'whereas' would improve the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several awkward phrasings, such as 'sketches illustrates' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'straight goes city hospital'. The student relies on basic descriptive language ('updated', 'same as it is', 'one more roundabout'). To achieve a higher band, the student needs to use more precise terminology related to maps and urban planning, such as 'intersect', 'adjacent to', 'relocated', or 'transformed'. The range is limited, and the errors in collocation occasionally make the description feel unnatural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'The sketches illustrates' (subject-verb agreement), 'That route called as Hospital road' (incorrect passive voice), and 'which is again turns around' (incorrect verb form). The sentence structures are mostly simple or contain errors when attempting complexity. There is a lack of variety in sentence construction, and punctuation is inconsistent. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar significantly impacts the quality of the writing.

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

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