Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-16
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 7.0)
The two layouts show the information about the present and the future development of the centre of Islip. Overall, the most significant change will be the reconstruction of the roads, while there will be rearrangement of the shops and introduction of the new infrastructures.
Regarding the transportation, the current design map has only one main road with 2 branches, with one at the south-west heading to the school and the other one at south-east to the parking area. The main road will be removed and a new circular dual carriageway will be built. For the convenient residents to the new housing area at the north-east, a new branch road will be constructed.
Furthermore, the shops besides the main road will be redeveloped. The shops will be moved to the middle of the map underneath the pedestrian road, and a new shopping centre will be built above the pedestrian road between a new bus station and car park.
The park at the southern east will be diminished to about one-third of the original area. Moreover, the housing area next to the shops will be moved slightly lower with a new housing area on the right.
Both the school and housing at the bottom of the map will remain unchanged, while the countryside at the top will be removed.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The student covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear overview and highlighting the main features of the transformation, such as the replacement of the main road with a dual carriageway and the rearrangement of shops into a pedestrianized zone with a shopping centre, bus station, and car park. Comparisons are made regarding the shrinking park and the remaining school and southern housing. However, there are a few minor inaccuracies or awkward phrasing in the spatial descriptions, such as stating that shops will be moved 'to the middle of the map underneath the pedestrian road' or that the countryside 'will be removed' rather than built over/replaced. Overall, the response successfully addresses the prompt and presents a well-developed summary.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. An introductory paragraph sets out the general changes, followed by body paragraphs dedicated to different aspects of the development (transportation, commercial areas, recreational and residential zones, and unchanging features). Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Regarding the transportation', 'Furthermore', and 'Moreover'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct features of the maps. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional transitional links feel slightly mechanical, placing this firmly in Band 7.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe changes, using terms like 'reconstruction', 'redevelopment', 'diminished', and 'dual carriageway'. There are occasional awkward lexical choices or prepositions, such as 'the convenient residents to the new housing area' (instead of 'for the convenience of residents') and 'southern east' (instead of 'southeast'). Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary is adequate to convey the intended meaning flexibly and with some precision, which aligns well with the Band 6.5 to 7.0 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional and participial clauses (e.g., 'while there will be rearrangement of the shops'). There are some minor grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'For the convenient residents to the new housing area' and missing articles or preposition choices ('the shops besides the main road', 'at the southern east'). However, these errors do not impede communication, and the majority of sentences are clear and grammatically sound, supporting a solid Band 6.5 score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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