Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-14

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The maps below show the centre of a small town called Islip as it is now, and plans for its development.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

The map illustrates plans for the development of the center of a small town called Islip.

Overall, the plan includes large amount of changes, new investments are going to be build in the future, there will be changes in the road structure, the northan side of the town will get more changes.

To begin with, they are planing to circle the town by a Dual carriageway and replace the road inside the town by a pedestrians only, whatever the shops on the north side of the main road are considered to be removed and replaced by Bus station in the west next to Shopping center and Car park and leave the eastern side to build a New housing with a small road to access it.

Moreover, for the southan side, they kept the Shops and the Housing and planned to get New housing in the east side next to the Park, that last one they planned to make it smaller then it used to be, whereas, in the extreme south the school and housing remaind untouchable.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main direction of change and cover several important features: the dual-carriageway loop, pedestrian-only central street, replacement of the northern shops, and changes to the park and housing. Your overview also recognises that the northern area changes more substantially. Some details, however, are unclear or inaccurate: the plan does not replace the road itself so much as restrict the central street to pedestrians, and the new housing is northeast of the car park, not simply on the eastern side. The southern housing is not all retained unchanged, since new housing is added between the existing housing and the reduced park. A more precise overview and fuller account of the southern layout would make the comparison more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing the northern and southern areas. Sequencing phrases such as “To begin with” and “Moreover” help signal the shift between areas, and the reader can generally follow the planned changes. However, the overview combines several points in one long sentence, while the first detail paragraph strings multiple changes together with “and” and “whatever,” making relationships between features difficult to follow. Some references, such as “that last one,” require the reader to infer which feature is meant. Use shorter, clearly organised sentences and refer directly to locations or features to make the progression more controlled.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant map vocabulary, including “Dual carriageway,” “pedestrians only,” “Bus station,” “Shopping center,” and “Housing,” so the main features are identifiable. There is also some attempt at more descriptive language, such as “circle the town” and “extreme south.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for this task: “new investments are going to be build” does not clearly describe the map, “leave the eastern side to build” is awkward, and “untouchable” is not an appropriate way to say that features remain. Spelling errors such as “northan,” “planing,” and “remaind” also reduce control. Prefer precise map verbs such as “surround,” “replace,” “retain,” and “locate.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences with clauses, and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, complex sentences are often difficult to control, as in “whatever the shops on the north side … are considered to be removed,” where the clause structure obscures the intended comparison. There are also errors in verb forms and agreement, including “are going to be build,” “they kept the Shops,” and “that last one they planned to make it smaller then it used to be.” Articles and sentence boundaries need attention as well. Practise expressing each map change in a clear subject–verb sentence, then combine related points with accurate relative or contrast clauses.

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