Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-05
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 plans illustrate the layout of a university’s sports centre now, and how it will look after redevelopment.
Overall, university sports centre present and future plans is shown. Many development will be done that makes sports centre more in the area and have many features that can make sport more comfortable.
Firstly, I will mention about the present university sports centre condition and design. On the east and west outdoor courts is present. Where near the pool area which is 25m, there are lots of facilities. Like on the east of pool seating area is located, on the west side changing and on the north and south gym and reception is available.
In the future the condition of sports centre will improve and well maintaine. So many things will be added such leisure pool which is on the west side and for this pool extra changing room will be built. near changing room sports shop will be located which on the west south side. Pool areas will be same as present. But instead of outdoor courts on the east sports hall and dance studio will have the space. And on the east south cafe and changing room is present.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the task by outlining both the present layout and future plans of the university sports centre, and it includes some useful comparisons, such as noting that the pool areas will remain the same while outdoor courts are replaced. However, certain areas are under-developed or lack clarity. For instance, the overview sentence "Many development will be done that makes sports centre more in the area" is unclear and fails to capture the main transformations effectively. While key features like the new leisure pool, sports hall, and dance studios are mentioned, the description of the spatial arrangement is sometimes confusing. To reach a higher level, the response needs to present a clearer, more fully developed overview of the most striking changes and report all significant features with greater precision and cohesion.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The text maintains a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical structure by first describing the present layout and then transitioning to future developments. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical, with awkward transitions such as "Firstly, I will mention about..." which reads more like a personal letter than an academic report. Paragraphing is attempted, but paragraph breaks are used inconsistently, particularly in the body where descriptions are clumped together. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as ambiguous pronoun use. To improve, the writer should use more sophisticated and natural cohesive devices to link ideas smoothly across sentences and paragraphs, while avoiding overly conversational framing.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying basic spatial descriptions with words like "facilities", "reception", and "changing room". However, the range is limited, and there are noticeable errors in word form, choice, and spelling that occasionally impede communication. For example, the writer uses "well maintaine" instead of well maintained, and phrases like "extra changing room will be built" or "east south cafe" display awkward collocations and positioning. Attempts at less common vocabulary are sparse and often inaccurate. To achieve a higher band, the student needs to incorporate a wider range of precise lexical items, ensure correct word forms, and pay closer attention to spelling and standard collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but it is marred by frequent basic grammatical errors. Issues include subject-verb agreement errors, such as "Many development will be done" and "sports centre present and future plans is shown", as well as missing articles and prepositions, for example, "such leisure pool" instead of such as a leisure pool. While these errors rarely completely impede communication, they occur regularly throughout the text, preventing the response from achieving a higher score. To progress, the writer must focus on grammatical accuracy, particularly regarding pluralization, article usage, verb forms, and sentence structure construction.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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