Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-03

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 maps below illustrates the current layout of Islip town and also its planned development.

Overall ,A town will be completely transformed in the coming future as compared to current scenario.

To begin with, there are shops on both sides of the main road. There is a countryside on the north side. The south side is the residential area consist of houses. There is a park and school on the south-east and south-west side respectively.

Moreover, the planned development shows complete transformation of the town . New houses will be built on the south side ,the size of the park will be reduced to introduced new houses in the town. New carriageway will be developed to commute conveniently. School will remain as it is . Main road transformed into pedestrians zone only .Shops on the north side has replaced with bus station, shopping centre and car park. New houses will be introduced on the east side of the town.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the maps, including the current layout and the proposed changes. You have successfully identified key developments like the pedestrianization of the main road and the addition of new housing. However, the report lacks a clear overview of the most significant changes, which is essential for a high score. While you mention a 'complete transformation,' it would be more effective to highlight specific trends, such as the shift from a residential/countryside focus to a more commercial and infrastructure-heavy layout. The description of the park reduction and the new housing locations is accurate, but the report could be improved by grouping features more logically to show the contrast between the two maps more clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. You use some cohesive devices like 'To begin with' and 'Moreover' to link ideas. However, the progression of information is sometimes mechanical, and the transition between the current state and the future plan could be smoother. The use of referencing is occasionally unclear; for instance, the sentence 'Shops on the north side has replaced with...' lacks a clear subject-verb agreement and logical flow. Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be more cohesive to ensure that the comparison between the two maps is more integrated rather than just listing features.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the map features, such as 'residential area,' 'pedestrians zone,' and 'carriageway.' However, there are several instances of inaccurate word choice and collocation, such as 'to introduced new houses' (should be 'to introduce') and 'has replaced with' (should be 'have been replaced by'). These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more precise verbs and ensuring that your word forms are consistent with the context of describing planned developments.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('The maps below illustrates,' 'Shops... has replaced') and article usage ('a countryside,' 'a pedestrians zone'). While these errors are frequent, they rarely impede communication. To improve, you should pay closer attention to pluralization and verb tense consistency, especially when describing future plans versus current states. The use of passive voice is appropriate for describing developments, but it needs to be applied with greater accuracy to achieve a higher band score.

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

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