Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-07
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 plan illustrates the layout of a university's sports center now, and how it will look after redevelopment.
Sports center will be enlarged in east and west directions. Furthermore, it will have more activities to participate, a cafe, more changing rooms, and a sports shop. While the current space will be used for same purposes as of now.
Future sports center will have a spacious leisure pool at north-west corner with a changing room on south-west side. This changing room also has a door which opens in the corridor which leads to reception. Moreover, there will be a cafe on right side and sports shop on the left while facing the reception at the entrance. The gym will expand towards east side and a new sport hall will be built behind seating area. Furthermore, there will be two dance studios and a changing room in the east side of the building. On the other hand, pool of 25m wil remain same in size with same changing room attached to it and space for seating will also be remain unchanged as of now.
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, including the expansion of the sports center and the addition of new facilities like the cafe and dance studios. However, the overview is somewhat weak; it lists features rather than synthesising the most significant changes. While the response identifies key additions, the description of the layout is occasionally confusing, such as the reference to the 'right side' and 'left side' without clearly anchoring these to the plan's orientation. To improve, ensure the overview highlights the most striking transformations, such as the overall increase in footprint and the shift from a single-pool layout to a dual-pool facility, rather than just listing individual rooms.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into paragraphs, though the division is somewhat unbalanced. The use of cohesive devices like 'Furthermore', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand' is generally effective in linking ideas. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'While the current space will be used for same purposes as of now', which is a sentence fragment. The progression of information is logical, moving from general changes to specific room locations, but the referencing could be clearer. Improving the transition between the general overview and the detailed description would enhance the overall coherence of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with terms like 'redevelopment', 'enlarged', and 'spacious' used appropriately. However, there is a lack of variety and some repetitive phrasing. For example, the word 'same' is used multiple times in the final paragraph ('same in size', 'same changing room', 'same purposes'). Additionally, there are minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'activities to participate' (should be 'activities to participate in') and 'in east side' (should be 'on the east side'). Expanding the range of descriptive vocabulary related to spatial changes would help elevate the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that, while not impeding communication, are noticeable. These include missing articles ('in east and west directions', 'on right side'), incorrect preposition usage ('in the east side'), and tense inconsistencies. The sentence 'While the current space will be used for same purposes as of now' is grammatically incomplete. To reach a higher band, focus on consistent article usage and ensuring that all sentences have a clear subject and verb, while also attempting more varied complex sentence structures to describe the changes.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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