Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-07-24

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 6.5)

The map displays the development of the center of a small town named Islip now and in the future.

Overall, it shows the town has undergone construction and several facilities are added and shifted. Dual carriage way will also develop around the town center. The residential area will also expand in the future.

Initially, there were only some basic facilities such as shops, housing, school and a park connected by a main road. Shops were located near the countryside.

In future, modern facilities such as shopping center has been constructed between a bus station and a car park. New housing facilities has been added on either sides of the shops . The size of the park has also reduced. Pedestrian path will develop in the replacement of main road. Dual carriage way will develop around the town center. The school is now bigger with modern amenities for students . The number of shops will demolish in redevelopment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main features of the maps, including the new shopping center, the dual carriageway, and the expansion of housing. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, analytical overview of the most significant changes. For instance, the statement 'The number of shops will demolish' is factually confusing and unclear in its intent. While the key features are identified, the comparison between the 'now' and 'future' states could be more effectively integrated to highlight the transformation of the town center. The report is sufficient to meet the requirements but lacks the depth of analysis required for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the current state to the future plans. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Initially' and 'In future', but the transitions between sentences are sometimes abrupt. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'The number of shops will demolish in redevelopment', where the subject-verb relationship is confusing. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and there is a clear attempt to structure the information, but the flow between ideas could be smoother and more sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the changes (e.g., 'amenities', 'redevelopment', 'residential area'). However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'The number of shops will demolish' (shops do not demolish themselves) and 'in the replacement of main road' (which should be 'replacing the main road'). These errors occasionally hinder the clarity of the message. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise verbs and collocations related to urban planning and map description.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the accuracy of the writing. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('shopping center has been constructed' instead of 'a shopping center has been constructed' or 'shopping centers have been constructed') and incorrect passive voice usage ('New housing facilities has been added'). While the meaning is generally understandable, these recurring errors in basic grammar and article usage prevent the response from reaching a higher band. More attention to proofreading for subject-verb agreement and pluralization is recommended.

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