Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-30

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 illustrates the centre of small city known as Islip as it is now, and ideas for its advancement.

Overall, the proposed developments include the introduction of a bus station, a pedestrianized main road with a new shopping center, the replacement of the current park area with housing, the addition of new residential spaces, and the introduction of a dual carriageway to the left of the area.

In detail, Islip town centre has a simple structure of its city as compared to its planned development. At present, the countryside lies in northern side of town, whereas in map that place have been replaced by the road, just below to the country side there are number of shops which would be transformed into bus station, shopping centre, car park, and new housing. In addition, the centre of the town is consist of main road and it get transits into pedestrians road only. However, shops remained same which lies under the main road. In the Southern part of it the school and housing also stays similar, while in the East West side the new housing would be built near the park, on the left side of it housing stay stable at that place. Subsequently, in the Western side of the map the dual carriageway also takes place.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student successfully identifies the main features and overall changes depicted in the maps, such as the introduction of the dual carriageway, the pedestrianisation of the main road, and the replacement of shops and the park with a bus station, shopping centre, and housing. An overview is present in the second paragraph, capturing the key transformations. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in describing spatial relationships, such as stating that the dual carriageway is 'to the left of the area' rather than forming a loop around the town centre, and some descriptions of existing features are slightly confused. Nevertheless, all parts of the task are addressed adequately, meeting the criteria for Band 6.5 or a solid Band 6.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is organized into clear paragraphs, moving from an introduction to an overview, followed by a detailed body paragraph. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader, such as 'Overall', 'In detail', and 'In addition'. However, some cohesive links and referencing are awkward or mechanical, for example, 'whereas in map that place have been replaced' and 'while in the East West side the new housing would be built'. Paragraphing is present and logically separates the overview from the detailed body points, though the single body paragraph is rather dense and would benefit from being split into two. Progression is generally clear throughout.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing map changes, using terms like 'introduction', 'pedestrianized', 'replacement', and 'transformed'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'maps illustrates', 'ideas for its advancement' (instead of development), and 'pedestrians road only'. Spelling is generally correct, but grammatical forms of words are occasionally misused (e.g., 'consist of' instead of consists of). The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points, but lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses ('shops which would be transformed') and comparative structures ('as compared to its planned development'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing that detract from accuracy, including subject-verb agreement issues ('maps illustrates', 'centre of the town is consist'), tense inconsistencies ('would be transformed', 'remained same', 'stays similar'), and missing articles ('in northern side', 'on left side'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the score from reaching Band 6.5.

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

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