Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-02

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)

There are two maps of a small town, Islip, showing its present and upcoming status. The first map presents its existing structures, whereas the second map depicts the possible look of the town after development.

We can see in the first map that the main road separates the countryside from the housing area of the town. It has two shops adjacent to it from the north and south sides. There is a school in the southwest and a park in the east. This map also includes two housing areas: one at the center and the other at the south.

After development, the main road has turned into a circular road surrounding many old and new infrastructures. Only one of the two shops will be retained. The northern shop will be turned into a large area containing a bus station, a shopping centre, and a car park with a new housing area at the northeast corner. There is an another new housing in the previous central housing area. Furthermore, there will be a dual carriageway at the southwest side of the road. The locations of the park, school, and the south housing area will be unchanged, but the park will become smaller in size.

The overall development plan of the Islip town includes many modern facilities in it while retaining the old properties with slight modifications.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the maps, including the transformation of the road system and the addition of new facilities. You made clear comparisons between the present and future states. However, to reach a higher band, ensure that all details are described with complete precision. For example, you mentioned the park becomes smaller, which is a good observation, but you could have provided more specific detail on the scale of the new housing developments to fully satisfy the 'fully developed' requirement of the higher bands. Overall, the response is accurate and covers all key changes effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs focusing on the 'before' and 'after' states, and a brief summary. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'furthermore', and 'in the first map' to link your points. To improve, try to vary your cohesive devices further to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. For instance, instead of starting sentences with 'There is' or 'The', you could use more varied introductory phrases to improve the flow between sentences.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'infrastructures', 'retained', 'adjacent', and 'dual carriageway' appropriately. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'upcoming status' (which is slightly unnatural in this context) and 'an another new housing' (which contains a grammatical error). To reach a higher band, aim to use more precise collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing. Your vocabulary is sufficient to convey the information clearly, but it lacks the sophistication and flexibility required for the highest bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. Most of your sentences are clear and error-free, though there are occasional slips, such as 'an another new housing' (incorrect article usage and noun phrase construction) and 'in the southwest side of the road' (preposition choice). Your control of punctuation is generally good. To improve, focus on eliminating these small errors and incorporating a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as passive voice constructions to describe the changes (e.g., 'The shop is to be replaced by...').

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

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