Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-12
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 below maps depicts the layout of university's current sports center or how it will turn out after the development. Overall, the sports center will be more versatile after the redevelopment as compared to current one, outdoor courts area will completely change in the future plans.
In future, university's sports center will be changed from both west and east outdoor courts. The gym area at the north of of center will increased. There will be two new dance studios at the east side of current sports center. Outdoor courts on the east side will be transform into sports hall. Also, there will an addition of changing room and cafe at the south east corner of the center.
Although the main area of the sports center will remain similar as to the current plan. A large leisure pool will be constructed in future at the West side of the present center. In south west corner, another changing room will be made associated to leisure pool. Lastly, there will be a sports shop at the first left of the entrance of sports center.
Future sports center will have more facilities and new features for university students.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student successfully covers all parts of the task by outlining the main features of the current sports center and comparing them with the proposed future layout. Key alterations, such as the construction of a large leisure pool on the west side, the replacement of outdoor courts with a sports hall on the east side, and the expansion of the gym, are correctly identified and reported. An overview is provided in the introduction, highlighting the main trend of increased versatility and changes to the outdoor courts. While some details could be slightly more fully extended and precise regarding exact locations, the response successfully fulfills the requirements of Academic Task 1 by providing a clear and accurate summary of the provided visual data.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged coherently with a logical progression from an introductory overview to specific changes in the east, west, and central areas of the sports center. Paragraphing is used reasonably well to group related features together, such as the transformations on the east side in the second paragraph and the additions on the west side in the third. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive, such as starting multiple sentences with 'In future' or 'There will be'. Referencing is generally clear, though transitional links between paragraphs could be smoother to enhance the overall flow and connectivity of the comparative analysis.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing maps and architectural changes, using terms like 'redevelopment', 'versatile', 'leisure pool', and 'changing room'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'The below maps depicts' (should be 'The maps below depict'), 'outdoor courts area' (should be 'the outdoor courts area'), and 'at the first left of the entrance' (awkward phrasing). Spelling is generally accurate, but some lexical inaccuracies recur throughout the text. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main features, these limitations prevent the score from reaching a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writing includes a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures such as concessive clauses ('Although the main area...') and relative clauses. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('maps depicts'), missing articles ('at West side', 'at first left'), and incorrect verb forms ('will be transform' instead of 'will be transformed'). Punctuation is also occasionally faulty, notably the sentence fragment at the very beginning and the separated independent clause ('Although... plan.'). These errors occasionally cause slight hesitation for the reader, aligning the grammar with a Band 5.5 performance.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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