Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-03
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 maps provides information about the present view of a university sports centre and the look after redevelopment.
Overall, there are a lot of changes in the sports centre after development and it looks more modernize after redevelopment. Some facilities are removed and some are newly added.
At the west side of the sport centre there was a outdoor courts, but now it is replaced by leisure pool. Changing room, 25 m pool and reception is still unchanged, whereas gym is expanded after redevelopment. On the south west side a new changing room and a sports shop is newly added.
At the right side of the map, there were a outdoor courts, but now it is replaced by sports hall and seating area is still unchanged. There is a new changing room at the south side of the sport centre and a cafe is newly added. On the east side there is two new dance studio rooms
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the redevelopment plan, identifying key changes such as the replacement of outdoor courts and the addition of new facilities like the cafe and dance studios. However, the overview is somewhat simplistic, and the description of the layout could be more precise. For instance, the report mentions 'right side' and 'west side' rather than using more formal directional language like 'the eastern section' or 'the western wing'. While the task is addressed, the comparison between the 'now' and 'after' states could be more analytical to reach a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on different areas of the sports centre. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'whereas', 'however', and 'on the other hand' (though the latter is absent, 'whereas' is used). However, the flow is occasionally mechanical. The use of referencing is generally clear, but the transition between the description of the west and east sides could be smoother to improve the overall progression of the information.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. Phrases like 'a lot of changes' and 'looks more modernize' are repetitive or grammatically incorrect. The student relies on basic descriptors such as 'newly added' and 'replaced'. To achieve a higher score, the student should incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to urban planning and spatial changes, such as 'transformed', 'converted', 'expanded', or 'integrated'. Spelling is generally accurate, but word choice is often functional rather than descriptive.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains several grammatical errors that affect the quality of the writing. For example, 'The maps provides' (subject-verb agreement error), 'it looks more modernize' (incorrect word form), and 'there is two new dance studio rooms' (subject-verb agreement error). While the student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentences, the frequency of these errors is noticeable. A wider range of error-free complex structures is needed to move beyond a band 6.0 level.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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