Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-24
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 given helps to illustrate and compare the future infrastructural plan for the islip town center with it’s current design helping in identifying new developments and designs.
Overall, the new planned development helps in arranging the buildings better and also forms a circular carriage way around the center for ease of travel.
The islip town center currently has a more linear arrangement of buildings that extends from north to south. This arrangement is changed in the future plan as most of the buildings are arranged side by side and a pedestrian pathway is added for easy and safe walking. Two new housing units are added to help with the increasing population aswell as a new bus station and car park is added along with a shopping center for the ease of the citizens.
The school and the housing east to it remain same along with the row of shops opposite to the main road. The park stays in the same location but the size is reduced. One of the most notable changes so far is the addition of a circular dual carriageway road around the center while removing the old main road to facilitate in travel.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The student successfully addresses the main features of the maps provided, comparing Islip town centre now with its planned development. Key transformations are noted, such as the addition of the dual carriageway, the pedestrianisation of the central street, and the replacement of the northern shops with a bus station, shopping centre, and car park. An appropriate overview is included in the second paragraph, highlighting the improved building arrangement and the circular roadway. However, there are minor inaccuracies in reporting; for instance, the student states that the old main road is removed, when actually it becomes a pedestrian-only zone. Furthermore, the description could be slightly more detailed regarding the specific locations of the new housing units. Overall, all parts of the prompt are addressed, fulfilling the requirements for Band 6.5 to 7.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response is organized into four paragraphs, following a logical progression from an introductory statement, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing specific spatial changes. Cohesive devices are employed to connect ideas, such as 'Overall', 'This arrangement is changed', and 'One of the most notable changes'. However, referencing is occasionally vague or slightly repetitive in sentence structures (e.g., beginning multiple sentences with 'The...'). Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the overall arrangement is coherent, though cohesion can feel slightly mechanical in places. This aligns well with the descriptors for Band 6.5.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to town planning and features like 'infrastructural plan', 'pedestrian pathway', 'dual carriageway', and 'housing units'. There are, however, some lexical and mechanical errors, such as capitalization issues ('islip'), incorrect word forms ('it's' instead of 'its'), and slight awkwardness in phrasing ('ease of travel' and 'ease of the citizens'). Despite these occasional slips, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without impeding communication, representing a solid Band 6 performance.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and introductory prepositional phrases. There are several grammatical errors and punctuation inaccuracies throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('The maps given helps'), missing capitalization on proper nouns ('islip'), and punctuation mistakes ('with it’s current design'). Complex structures are attempted but sometimes result in minor errors. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the text from achieving a higher band score, placing it comfortably at Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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