Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-24

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 diagram shows us a current sports center of a university and the future plans of the same sports center.There is a lot of improvement in future plans of a sports complex which we have to discuss.

The present sports complex has has a reception at main entrance, and there is 25m pool in the center and on the right side of pool there is Seating place for spectators and on the left side a changing room for players where a sport person changes their dress before game. There I also a gym on the north side of the pool where everyone can fresh themselves and swim.

In the redevelopment plans of the complex, the reception remain at the same place, there is Cafe near the reception right corner and on the left corner there is sports shop, and changing room is beside the sports shop, There is also leisure pool on the west side and the second changing room and seating place at the same place as in current map, there is 2 dance studio at

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to complete the task as it cuts off mid-sentence at the end. While it attempts to describe the current and future layouts, the lack of a concluding summary or a complete overview of the changes significantly impacts the score. The description of the current layout is somewhat repetitive and lacks the analytical focus required for an Academic Task 1. Key features are mentioned, but the comparison between the two plans is not fully developed, and the abrupt ending prevents a clear overview of the main trends or significant changes from being established.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is divided into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is hindered by the incomplete nature of the text. Cohesive devices are used in a basic, somewhat mechanical way (e.g., 'on the right side', 'on the left side'). There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to connect the comparison of the two maps effectively. The referencing is occasionally unclear, and the overall structure suffers because the final paragraph is unfinished, leaving the reader without a sense of closure or a logical conclusion to the comparison.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but remains quite repetitive and basic. Phrases like 'there is' are used excessively to introduce features. There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'everyone can fresh themselves', which is not standard English. The range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little attempt to use more precise or academic terminology to describe spatial arrangements or architectural changes. To improve, you should aim for a wider variety of verbs and descriptive adjectives to convey information more fluently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains several grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement ('reception remain', 'there is 2 dance studio'), article usage, and punctuation. The sentence structures are mostly simple or compound, with limited attempts at complex structures. The abrupt ending also leaves a sentence fragment, which is a significant grammatical error. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the response from reaching a higher band score.

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

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