Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-20

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 bellow picture depicts the map layout of university sports center future plans compared to current one

Overall the future layout is big compared to current layout with some more access to various parts

Here we can see the bigger plan of the future layout both the outdoor courts from the present layouts is caved in inside the future layout. Whereas after the entry, at left side a leisure pool is located with connected changing room and entry access to sports shop, all these three items are not present in the current layout. Moreover opposite to the pool there is a sports hall connected to two dance studios. At the back of both this these areas gym is located which is slightly bigger than the present one. In addition to that changing room is also situated beside the studios and a cafe is connected to changing room.

However the present plan is easy to remember and to understand. But the future plan is more efficient.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the sports centre redevelopment, such as the addition of the leisure pool, sports hall, and cafe. However, the description is somewhat superficial. For example, the statement 'the outdoor courts from the present layouts is caved in inside the future layout' is unclear and fails to accurately describe the spatial changes. The overview is also quite basic and lacks a clear, analytical summary of the most significant changes. To improve, you should focus on grouping information more logically and providing more precise comparisons of size and location, rather than simply listing features.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into short paragraphs, which helps readability. However, the logical progression is weak. The transition between the description of the future layout and the final paragraph is abrupt. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Moreover' and 'In addition to that', but they feel somewhat mechanical. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly in the sentence 'At the back of both this these areas gym is located', where the pronoun reference is confusing. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would enhance the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. Phrases like 'big compared to current layout' and 'easy to remember' are simplistic. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'caved in' to describe the layout changes, which is not appropriate in this context. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more academic vocabulary related to spatial descriptions, such as 'expanded', 'integrated', 'relocated', or 'transformed', and ensure that your word choices are more precise and formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('the outdoor courts... is caved in'), missing articles ('at left side', 'beside the studios'), and awkward phrasing ('At the back of both this these areas gym is located'). These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader, although they do not completely impede communication. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, correct article usage, and ensuring subject-verb agreement throughout your writing.

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

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