Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-29
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 provide the town of Islip as it is now and its planned development.
Overall, there is inclusion of a bus station, car park, shopping centre, new housing, dual carriageway, and an allocated space for pedestrians only.
To commence with, the current town centre has a main road which is surrounded by shops. On the northern most side of the town centre lies the countryside whereas the southern side of the shops have housing. The main road gives way to two paths on east and west where school and park are located, respectively. The southern most side of the town centre has another space for house. On the other hand, the current planned development of Islip town centre not only contains a pedestrians only path but it also includes shops on its southern side and the addition of a bus station, shopping centre, and a car park on its northern side. New housing is located on west to the park and on the north of the pesdestrians only path. All of it is surrounded by a dual carriageway. Finally, the school remains on the south-west corner of the town centre.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The response successfully covers all the key features of the two maps, presenting a clear overview of the main changes, such as the introduction of a dual carriageway loop, a pedestrianised central street, and new commercial and residential zones. The student reports the transformation well, noting how the old shops have been replaced by a bus station, shopping centre, and car park, while the southern side retains shops alongside new housing and a downsized park. Although some minor directional details could be slightly more precise, the overall reporting is accurate and fulfils the requirements of Task 1 effectively, aligning well with Band 7 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response is logically organised into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and a detailed body paragraph. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'To commence with', 'On the other hand', and 'Finally' are used to guide the reader through the comparison. However, the cohesion within the lengthy body paragraph feels somewhat dense and mechanical at times. Paragraphing could be further improved by separating the description of the current map from the planned development to enhance visual clarity and logical progression. Referencing is generally clear, earning a solid Band 6.5 or 7.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary suitable for describing maps and town planning, using terms like 'dual carriageway', 'pedestrians only', 'shopping centre', and 'allocated space'. There are occasional awkward lexical choices or phrasing, such as 'gives way to two paths on east and west' and 'space for house', as well as a spelling typo ('pesdestrians'). Less common vocabulary is attempted with reasonable success, though precision is occasionally lacking, placing the lexical performance firmly at Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writing features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and prepositional phrases (e.g., 'The given maps provide the town of Islip as it is now...'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward preposition usages throughout the text, such as 'On the northern most side', 'on west to the park', and a double verb issue in 'the current planned development... not only contains... but it also includes'. Furthermore, there is a missing article in 'remains on the south-west corner'. These errors do not impede communication, but they occur with enough frequency to prevent the score from rising above Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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