Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-27

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 illustrate the information about the changes that a small town named Islip will experience in the development of the centre.

Overall, a significant change can be seen in the structure of the town that will be completely transformed into multiple newly build spots and new housing. A single main road will be converted into dual carriageway, which will cover the entire town by making a circle point.

Countryside shops in the north of the town will be converted into a bus station, a shopping centre and car parking. Dual carriageway will take space of the north countryside area. New housing will take place in the north east side of the town. Main road that was located in the middle of the shops will be alloted for pedestrains only.

A park that is situated in the south east of the town will be reduced in size and that space will be used for building new houses. Two way main road will also connects the school in the south of the town and houses.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student successfully addresses the main features of the maps, presenting a clear overview of the proposed developments in Islip. Key transformations are identified, such as the addition of the dual carriageway loop, the pedestrianisation of the central street, and the replacement of northern shops with a bus station, shopping centre, and car park. The southern park reduction and new housing additions are also noted. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and omissions in spatial descriptions; for example, the text states that 'Countryside shops in the north of the town will be converted...', whereas the map shows countryside in the north with shops below it. Furthermore, the final sentence contains some confusion regarding road connections. Despite these minor issues, the overall response covers the key changes well, satisfying the requirements of a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is arranged coherently, with an introduction, a body covering the primary spatial and structural alterations, and a concluding remark about the southern area. Paragraphing is attempted, though the text would benefit from being divided into more distinct paragraphs (such as separating the northern and southern changes). Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, but some referencing is slightly awkward or mechanical, such as 'Dual carriageway will take space of the north countryside area' followed immediately by 'New housing will take place...'. Progression is generally logical, leading the reader from the overall structure to specific functional zones, but transitional phrases between sentences could be smoother to achieve a higher band.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing map changes, successfully using terms like 'transformed', 'converted', 'pedestrians only', and 'reduced in size'. However, there are noticeable word-formation errors and awkward collocations, such as 'newly build spots' instead of 'newly built areas', 'car parking' instead of 'car park', and 'circle point' instead of 'circular route' or 'loop'. Spelling and word-choice errors do not impede communication, but they restrict the lexical score to a solid Band 6.0. Incorporating a wider variety of precise spatial vocabulary would enhance this score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The student employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing passive voice ('will be converted', 'will be reduced') which is appropriate for Academic Task 1 writing. However, there are frequent minor grammatical errors, particularly with missing articles ('a small town named Islip will experience in the development of the centre', 'Main road that was located') and prepositions ('take space of' instead of 'take up space in'). Complex structures are attempted but sometimes result in awkward phrasing, such as 'Two way main road will also connects the school...'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but grammatical slips occur across most sentences, placing this response firmly in the Band 6.0 category.

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

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