Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-17

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 maps illustrate the current layout of the Islip town centre and the proposed changes in this town.

Overall, the town will undergo significant changes, including the addtion of new housing, pedestrians walkway, a bus station, a shopping centre and a car park. It is expected that a dual carriageway will be constructed around the town.

At present, a main road is runing from the west to east of the town. Shops and countriside area are located on the northern side of the main road. In southern area of the main road there are shops and housing. The eastern part of the main road is connected to a park, while the western part is connected with a road, which is closed near a school.

In the future,a dual carriageway around the town will be constructed. A school and housing will remain outside of the carriageway in the south direction. The main road will be converted into a pedestrians walkway, while the northern area shops will be transformed into a bus station, shopping centre, car park. A new housing will be connected with the dual carriageway in the eastern part of the town. The shops , park and housing will be remained same in the south direction of the town; however, new housing will be added.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by comparing the current layout of Islip town centre with the proposed development plans. A clear overview is provided in the second paragraph, outlining major changes such as the dual carriageway, pedestrianisation, and new infrastructure. Key features are reported and compared appropriately, such as the transformation of northern shops into a bus station, shopping centre, and car park, and the retention of certain residential areas and the school in the south. The information selected is entirely grounded in the visual data, and comparisons between the 'now' and 'future' states are well managed throughout the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organised into four paragraphs, moving from an introduction and overview to a description of the current layout, and finally detailing the future developments. Cohesive devices are used adequately to guide the reader through the maps (e.g., 'At present', 'In the future', 'however'). Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the current state from the future plans. Although some referencing and linking could be slightly smoother—such as 'In southern area of the main road' which contains a minor prepositional awkwardness—the overall progression is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing terms like 'dual carriageway', 'pedestrian walkway', 'layout', and 'proposed changes'. There are a few lexical and spelling errors, such as 'addtion' instead of addition, 'countriside' instead of countryside, and 'pedestrians walkway' instead of pedestrian walkway. However, these errors do not impede communication. The use of less common vocabulary shows a satisfactory attempt to describe spatial changes and map transformations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over future structures ('will undergo', 'will be constructed', 'will be transformed'). There are some minor grammatical errors, such as 'is runing' instead of runs, and awkward phrasing like 'A new housing' (housing is uncountable) and 'will be remained same'. Punctuation is generally accurate, and despite occasional slips, the majority of sentences are clear and communicate the intended meaning effectively to the reader.

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