Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-07-29

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 illustration shows the current map of Islip town and prospective map following the planned developments. Overall, several changes have been planned including a shopping centre, car parking, and bus station, as well as a main road.

Currently, the town centre has no boundary and there are two roads that are aheading inside the town, and a school is located at the South of road. An additional main road is there towards the countryside with shops at both sides of road. Additionally, there is a park in centre of the residencies.

In the second map, a lot of developments have been planned. Most importantly, main road will surrounds the town with dual carriageway, and a pedestrians way at the centre of the town. The shops and new housings will be made in the south of the pedestrians, while a bus station, shopping centre, car parking and an additional hosing in the North.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main features of the maps, including the new road layout, the shopping centre, and the relocation of housing. You have successfully identified the key changes, such as the pedestrianisation of the town centre and the addition of the bypass. However, the description of the current map is slightly imprecise; for instance, stating there is 'no boundary' is vague, and the location of the school is described as 'South of road' without specifying which one. To reach a higher band, ensure that spatial relationships are described with greater precision and that the overview clearly highlights the most significant transformation, which is the shift from a through-road town to a pedestrian-focused centre with a bypass.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is organised into three logical paragraphs: an introduction, a description of the current state, and a description of the future plans. This structure is effective. You use some cohesive devices like 'Additionally' and 'In the second map', which help the flow. However, the progression within the paragraphs could be smoother. For example, the transition between the current layout and the future development could be more explicitly linked. Some referencing is slightly unclear, such as 'the pedestrians' (referring to the pedestrianised area). Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring clear pronoun reference would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the maps, using terms like 'prospective', 'developments', 'dual carriageway', and 'pedestrians way'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'aheading inside' (should be 'leading into') and 'hosing' (likely a typo for 'housing'). The phrase 'pedestrians way' is also slightly unnatural; 'pedestrianised zone' or 'pedestrian area' would be more accurate. While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more precise descriptive language for spatial changes would elevate the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'main road will surrounds' (subject-verb agreement) and 'at the South of road' (missing article). Additionally, 'a lot of developments have been planned' is a bit informal for an academic report. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher band. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles when describing locations on a map.

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