Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-15

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 two maps show the road structure around the city hospital three years apart. We can see several improvement in the design of roads around the hospital.

In 2007 there was a four road junction at the south side of the map but in 2010 they developed 2 roundabout, one is closer to the hospital and the other one is on the south. They've also changed the bus stop location. Earlier map has a bus stop far from the actual hospital, now it is much closer to the hospital and both the roundabout has direct roads to the bus stop.

In the 2010s map we can see another big upgrade which is the separation of the parking spot. In 2007 there was a single parking spot for both the staff and public. In 2010 they divided the parking in two different zone. The east side of the hospital contains the parking spot for the public and the staff park their car in the old parking lot.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main changes: two roundabouts were added, the bus stops were replaced by a bus station, and parking was divided between staff and public. The comparison that the former shared car park became staff-only is accurate, as is the new public car park. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate. The public car park is on the east side of the Ring Road, not simply “the east side of the hospital,” and the bus station is west of Hospital Road rather than closer to the hospital in the sense suggested. The opening says there were “several improvement[s]” but does not give a clear overview of the overall reorganisation. Describe the bus station’s position and access more precisely, and distinguish the two car parks clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction followed by discussion of road and bus changes, then parking. This grouping helps the reader follow the main topics, and phrases such as “In 2007” and “In 2010” establish comparisons. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes loose: the bus-stop discussion shifts from location to road access without clearly explaining the new bus station’s position. “Earlier map” and “now” are also less precise than consistently naming the years. The final paragraph introduces the parking changes but does not connect them to a concise overall summary. Use clearer topic sentences and more explicit links between each 2007 feature and its 2010 replacement to make the organisation more controlled.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing maps, including “roundabout,” “separation,” “staff,” “public,” and “direct roads,” so the main changes are generally understandable. There is some repetition of broad terms such as “spot,” “upgrade,” and “changed,” and a few choices are imprecise for this task: “bus stop” is used for the 2010 bus station, while “four road junction” does not clearly describe the original layout. “In the 2010s map” is also an awkward way to identify the 2010 panel. Aim for more exact map language, such as “bus station,” “car park,” “junction,” “access road,” and “was converted into.” This would improve precision and reduce reliance on informal wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You communicate the main comparisons using both simple and some more developed sentences, for example, “In 2007 there was a single parking spot for both the staff and public.” However, several grammatical errors remain. In “several improvement,” the noun should be plural; “they developed 2 roundabout” needs plural agreement and a more suitable passive construction; and “both the roundabout has” has a subject–verb agreement error. The sentence beginning “Earlier map has” also needs an article and consistent tense. Most meanings remain recoverable, but these errors reduce accuracy. Practise past-tense descriptions of completed changes and check articles, plural nouns, and agreement, while varying sentence patterns beyond repeated “there was” constructions.

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