Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-22

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 given plan shows a perfect redevelopment of the university's sport centre.In the first plan illustrates the present structure of the sports centre and the second plan illustrates the renovated sports centre.

If observed clearly we can see that there is a leisure pool to the west of the 25m pool in the future plan whereas the present plan lacks a leisure pool.There are a total of three changing rooms on the west and east of the 25m pool.

As we enter in the sports centre we can see a reception ,in both the plans there are seating arrangement to the east of the reception.In the present plan there are two large outdoor courts on either side of the reception but the new plan does not have outdoor courts .The gym arena is a bit expanded in the future plan and also includes two dance studios ,cafe and sports shop

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several relevant changes, including the addition of a leisure pool, the disappearance of the outdoor courts, and new facilities such as dance studios, a café and a sports shop. However, the response does not give a clear overview of the redevelopment as a whole, and some details are inaccurate or unclear. For example, the plans show four changing rooms in the future layout, not three, and the outdoor courts are on the west and east sides of the centre rather than on either side of the reception. The statement about seating east of reception is also imprecise: seating is east of the 25m pool. To strengthen the report, summarise the expansion and major additions first, then describe locations accurately and cover the retained facilities.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence: it introduces the two plans, describes some changes, and then refers to the entrance and additional facilities. This gives the reader a general sense of the topic. However, progression is not consistently clear, and the paragraphs do not organise the information into a strong overview followed by grouped details. Phrases such as “If observed clearly” and “As we enter” create a personal, conversational sequence rather than a clear comparison of the plans. The final sentence also combines several separate changes without explaining their locations. Use a concise overview paragraph, followed by paragraphs grouping the western, central and eastern changes, and use clear links such as “In contrast” or “On the eastern side” where they genuinely clarify relationships.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing a plan, including “redevelopment,” “leisure pool,” “outdoor courts” and “dance studios.” This shows an adequate task-related range, but several choices are imprecise or unnatural, which limits clarity. “Perfect redevelopment” is an unsupported evaluation, while “gym arena” and “seating arrangement” are not the most suitable labels for the facilities shown. “The new plan does not have outdoor courts” communicates the change, but “the outdoor courts are removed” is more direct and precise. Aim to use neutral, map-focused language and repeat the facility names accurately rather than substituting vague terms. More precise location phrases will also help distinguish the centre’s west and east sides.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast between the present and future plans using “whereas.” Meaning is generally recoverable, but errors in sentence construction and punctuation are noticeable. “In the first plan illustrates” is not a complete grammatical construction; write “The first plan illustrates…” or “In the first plan, …”. The opening also runs two sentences together after “sport centre,” and several missing spaces after full stops make the writing harder to read. In “there are seating arrangement,” the verb and noun phrase do not agree. Practise forming complete clauses, checking singular and plural agreement, and separating sentences with appropriate punctuation. These corrections would make your comparisons easier to follow.

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

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