Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-02

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 map below illustrates the road access to a city hospital in 2007 and 2010.

In 2007, pupil could reach the city hospital by the city road. Taking a turn towards the hospital road, bus stops on either side of the road could be found, Three stops for both ongoing and returning people. Additionally, the hospital was provided with a car parking facility for both staff and public, this car park was to the right of the hospital road, while the entry gate was in front of the city hospital.

This infrastructure was modified in 2010 by adding 2 roundabouts at the intersections and providing specific cark parks and bus station. The first roundabout was stationed at the turn leading to the hospital road. On the left side of the hospital road, there was a designated bus station for public, and on to the right, staff car parking was assigned.

The second roundabout was at the city hospital intersection leading to the entry gates of the parking on the right. Public car parking was to the parallel right of 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 and the reorganization of parking and bus facilities. However, the overview is missing; a summary of the most significant changes (e.g., the shift from a single road access to a more structured system with roundabouts) is essential for a higher band. The description of the 2007 map is slightly inaccurate, as it refers to 'pupil' instead of 'people' or 'visitors', and the description of the 2010 changes is somewhat confusing in its spatial orientation, making it difficult for the reader to visualize the final layout clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into three paragraphs, which is a logical structure for a comparison task. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In 2007', 'Additionally', and 'This infrastructure was modified', which help guide the reader. However, the progression within the second paragraph is slightly mechanical, and some referencing is unclear, particularly when describing the location of the car parks in 2010. The use of 'to the parallel right' is awkward and hinders the smooth flow of information. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal cohesion could be more refined.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, using terms like 'infrastructure', 'intersections', and 'designated'. However, there are some inaccuracies and unnatural word choices. For example, 'pupil' is used incorrectly to refer to the general public, and 'ongoing and returning people' is not standard English for describing traffic flow. The phrase 'to the parallel right' is also non-standard. While the range is sufficient to convey the main points, the lack of precision in describing spatial relationships limits the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the hospital was provided with a car parking facility... this car park was to the right', which creates a comma splice. The sentence 'Three stops for both ongoing and returning people' is a fragment. While these errors do not impede communication significantly, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher band. There is a reasonable attempt at complex structures, but control over punctuation and sentence boundaries needs improvement.

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

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