Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-03

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 two plans illustrate the centre of a local town called Islip as it is now, along with plans for its future development.

Overall, the planned development of Islip town centre will bring very significant changes for the future, whereas town now has only a few services available for individuals.

In terms of today, in the north there is countryside and just adjacent that in the south it had shops then mainroad then again shops. Furthermore, in the south it had two housing areas, while on the left of the housing area there is a school and on right side it had park.

Coversely, the planned development will undergo to a significant changes such as, it will remove the countryside in the north, while expanding the town. Furthermore, the shops in the north will be replaced with few new facilities like, bus station, shopping centre, car park, and new housing, apart from that pedestrains only pathway will be constructed instead of a main road. In addition, in the south only new housing will be introcued, whereas all this services will stay connected to a dual carriageway road.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of Islip town centre now and in the planned future. An overview is provided, highlighting that significant changes will occur, particularly the replacement of the countryside and the addition of new facilities. Key comparisons between the two maps are made, such as noting the shift from a main road to a pedestrianized pathway and the introduction of a dual carriageway loop. However, some details are slightly under-developed or imprecise, such as the exact positioning of certain new residential areas and community spaces. To reach a higher band, the overview could be more comprehensive, and every key feature should be described with greater clarity and precision.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response maintains a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical structure, beginning with an introduction, moving to an overview, and then detailing the current map followed by the planned development. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sections of the analysis. Cohesive devices are employed, such as "In terms of today", "Furthermore", and "Conversely", though some referencing and connective choices feel a bit mechanical or slightly awkward, such as "whereas town now has" or "apart from that pedestrains only pathway". To achieve a higher score, the logical progression could be smoother, and cohesive devices should be used more flexibly and naturally without relying on formulaic transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to successfully describe the physical changes on the maps. There are clear attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as "significant changes", "adjacent", and "pedestrianised pathway". However, noticeable word-choice and spelling errors are present throughout the text, including "pedestrains", "introcued", and awkward phrasing like "services will stay connected to a dual carriageway road". Additionally, some terms are repetitive. To improve this criterion, the writer needs to expand their range of lexical items, ensure correct word forms and spelling, and improve collocation to convey information with greater precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures like relative clauses and introductory prepositional phrases. However, grammatical accuracy is limited, with frequent errors in tense usage (such as switching incorrectly between past and present descriptions like "it had shops then mainroad"), missing articles ("in north there is countryside"), and awkward passive voice constructions ("will undergo to a significant changes"). While these errors do not completely obscure the overall meaning, they occur frequently enough to impede smooth reading. To reach the next band, the student must demonstrate better control over basic sentence patterns, verb tenses, article usage, and prepositions within grammatical structures.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.