Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-21
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 given maps present the current structure of the main commercial centre of a tiny town named as Islip and also features the plans for its development.
Overall, the striking difference in both maps is that of the main road or the dual carriage way. In the already existing map the main road passes through the centre having shops on both sides while in the planned map this will change into a circle surrounding the majority of the area of the centre. Other than that, sites for new housing are added in the map along with an extra parking place. Shops at the northren side of main road are also wiped out in the planned map.
Inthe current map of the main centre of the Islip the main road passes through it's centre having multiple shops on both margins. A nearby country side is also showed in the present map on the far northern side. opposite to the country side there are two housing sites towards the southren side of the shops.
The new map plans to surround the whole commercial centre except the school and one of the old housing area. The shops on one side of the main road ara altered into a bus station, shoping centre car park and a new housing.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of Islip town centre currently and the proposed developments. A clear overview is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting the major structural change from a straight main road to a surrounding dual carriageway and the addition of new facilities. The student accurately reports specific changes, such as the replacement of northern shops with a bus station, shopping centre, and car park, and the pedestrianisation of the central street. While some minor details, such as the exact positioning of all housing areas, could be elaborated further, the response clearly covers the key spatial transformations and makes relevant comparisons. Therefore, it satisfies the requirements for Band 6.5 to 7.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is arranged coherently, with a logical progression from an introduction to an overview, followed by specific body paragraphs detailing the current layout and future plans. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different aspects of the maps. However, cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or lack variety, and referencing is occasionally unclear (e.g., phrases like 'Other than that' or 'Inthe current map'). Transitions between sentences could be smoother to enhance the overall flow. Despite these minor structural flaws, the information is organized in a clear, easy-to-follow manner, aligning well with the Band 6.0 descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing maps and town planning, using terms such as 'commercial centre', 'pedestrianisation', 'dual carriageway', and 'surrounding'. However, there are several lexical and spelling inaccuracies throughout the text, including 'Northren' (northern), 'shoping' (shopping), 'country side' (countryside), and awkward collocations like 'wiped out' instead of 'demolished' or 'replaced'. While attempts are made to use less common vocabulary, errors in word choice and spelling prevent the response from achieving a higher band, placing it firmly at Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting relative clauses and conditional-like comparisons (e.g., 'In the already existing map the main road passes... while in the planned map this will change...'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with missing articles ('in map', 'old housing area'), incorrect prepositions ('named as Islip', 'at the northren side'), and punctuation or spacing issues (e.g., 'Inthe', 'carriage way', 'ara'). These errors do not seriously impede communication, but they occur with enough frequency to restrict the score to a Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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