Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-06

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 presented maps illustrate the layout of Islip town now and in comparison with its planned development.

Overall, the town will undergo several significant changes during the period shown, with the notable being the conversion of shops area into bus park, car park, new housing area.

As can be seen from the two maps, shops in country side area will be converted into bus station, shopping centre, car park and new housing area. The main road will only be used by pedestrians only in the centre of the town. The dual carriageway is proposed to built to faciliate the road around the Islip town centre.

Other striking changes will include the addition of the new housing area in the south east side. Also, to the southeast side, the park will be redeveloped and its size is going to be decreased. The school in the southwest side of the town will be redesigned in larger size to faciliate more students.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all major features of the maps, presenting an overview of the transformation and highlighting key developments such as the introduction of a dual carriageway and pedestrianized zones. The writer selects and reports the main features effectively, fulfilling the requirements for a Band 6 while showing elements of the next band by noting specific conversions like the shops becoming a bus station and shopping centre. However, some details are slightly underdeveloped or imprecise, such as mentioning the school being redesigned in a larger size, which is not clearly supported by the visual data since the school remains largely unchanged in outline outside the loop. To reach a higher level, the overview could be more precisely integrated, and all cited features must closely mirror the visual evidence without minor inaccuracies.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that group related spatial changes together. Logical sequencing is present, moving from the central and northern modifications to the eastern and southern areas. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader, such as 'As can be seen from the two maps', 'The main road', and 'Other striking changes'. However, cohesion occasionally feels slightly mechanical, and referencing suffers from minor awkwardness, such as the repetition of 'southeast side' in consecutive sentences. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas, but clearer transitional links between the general plan and specific regional changes would elevate the organizational flow to the next level.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully attempting less common items related to urban planning, such as 'conversion', 'pedestrians only', 'dual carriageway', and 'redeveloped'. There are, however, some lexical inaccuracies and awkward collocations, such as 'bus park' instead of bus station, and typographical errors like 'faciliate' (facilitate) and 'built' instead of built. The writer demonstrates an ability to use appropriate vocabulary to describe map changes, but occasional word choice errors and minor spelling mistakes prevent the response from achieving a higher band. To improve, the writer should focus on precise word forms and natural collocations associated with architectural and infrastructural changes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including passive constructions like 'will be converted' and 'is proposed to built'. There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text, such as 'with the notable being the conversion', 'proposed to built' (missing passive infinitive marker or tense issue), and missing articles like 'in country side area'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while these errors are noticeable, they rarely impede communication, placing the response firmly in the mid-range for accuracy. To achieve a higher score, the writer needs to eliminate mechanical errors in verb forms, ensure correct article usage, and demonstrate a wider variety of error-free complex structures.

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

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