Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-11-09

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The plans below show the layout of a university’s sports centre now, and how it will look after redevelopment.

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

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The plans illustratethe difference of the university's sport centre before the redevelopment and the present.

Overall, the sport centre become more developed and tourist-oriented place and some are added or renovated like dance studio, changing room are more, sports shop, cafè and pools.

It illustrates the changes like in the north side of the sport centre is the gym is more wide, in the west side is outdoor courts changed as a leisure pool, in the south part becomes changing room, sports shop, and cafe, and in the east part its has a dancing studios and a sports hall and finally in the middle part of the is still the same 25m pool.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main overall change: the centre is expanded and gains facilities such as a leisure pool, sports hall, dance studios, shop and café. You also correctly note that the 25m pool remains central and that the gym becomes larger. However, the response only partially reports the plans: it does not mention that the existing outdoor courts are on both sides, or explain that the central changing room, seating and reception remain in place. Some locations are imprecise, and the overview’s claim that the centre becomes “tourist-oriented” is not supported by the plan. The response is also 37 words below the required minimum, leaving important comparisons underdeveloped. Include a fuller account of what stays, what is added and where.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a basic, understandable structure: an introduction, an overall statement and a paragraph describing changes by location. This gives the reader a general route through the information. However, progression is limited because most details are compressed into one long sentence beginning “It illustrates the changes like,” with several locations and facilities joined by repeated “and.” The reference “some are added or renovated” is also unclear, as it does not specify which features are meant. Separate the overview from the detailed comparisons, and group the western and eastern changes into clearer sentences. More precise linking and referencing would make the organisation smoother and less list-like.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “redevelopment,” “leisure pool,” “sports hall,” “dance studios” and “25m pool,” so the reader can identify many of the facilities. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or awkward: “tourist-oriented” is not supported by the plans, “sport centre” is less natural than “sports centre,” and “dancing studios” is not the usual name for these rooms. There are also spelling and form issues, such as “cafè” and “illustratethe.” Aim for precise map language, including terms such as “retained,” “expanded” and “replaced,” and use consistent facility names.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple statements and longer sentences, but the range is limited and errors are frequent enough to make some relationships difficult to follow. For example, “the sport centre become more developed” has an incorrect verb form, while “in the north side … is the gym is more wide” contains faulty word order and a repeated verb. The sentence beginning “It illustrates the changes like” also lacks a clear grammatical structure, and “in the middle part of the is still the same 25m pool” is incomplete. Practise forming clear comparison sentences with accurate subject–verb agreement and past/present forms, such as “The gym is extended eastwards, while the 25m pool remains in its original position.”

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

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