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 given chart provides us with information about cebtre of small town known as Islip and its proposals before and after development. Overall, both maps some things were common such as park and school.

First of all, Islip town consist of main road at centre from west to east and shops on the both sides of road. To the north of the shops lies countryside, while to the south is the large housing area. In the south-east, there is a park, and i n the south-west, there is a school located. In the planned development, the main road is turned into a pedestrain-street, with shops remaining on its southern side. To the north, the countryside will be replaced by a new housing estate, along with a bus station, shopping cectre and a car park. The housing area in the centre eill be reduced to make way for new housing near the park, which will be smaller. A dual carriageway eill be built around the town, encircling the housing and school.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by selecting and reporting the main features of Islip's current layout and its proposed development. There are clear comparisons made, such as noting that the park and school remain, while the northern countryside is replaced by housing and amenities. However, some aspects are under-developed or inaccurately described. For instance, the student states that the dual carriageway encircles 'the housing and school', whereas the map clearly shows the school and an area of housing remaining outside the loop to the south. Additionally, the overview is extremely brief, consisting of a single sentence. To reach a higher level, the response would need a more fully developed introduction and overview, alongside greater precision when reporting spatial relationships and alterations across the maps.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text presents a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical progression from the current map to the planned changes. The writer attempts to guide the reader using transition signals such as 'First of all', 'To the north', and 'In the planned development'. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For example, the referencing in the opening sentence ('proposals before and after development') is slightly confusing, and paragraphing is underdeveloped, as the entire body of the report is compressed into a single, dense block of text below the brief introduction. Clearer paragraph breaks separating the baseline map from the development proposals, as well as a more distinct overview paragraph, would greatly improve the structural organisation.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying basic spatial concepts and features such as 'housing area', 'bus station', and 'dual carriageway'. The writer attempts to use less common vocabulary, but this is accompanied by noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, spelling, and word forms. Examples include typos such as 'cebtre' instead of centre, 'pedestrain-street' instead of pedestrianised street, 'cectre' instead of centre, and 'eill' instead of will. Additionally, the phrase 'proposals before and after development' is slightly unnatural in this context. These lexical errors and awkward collocations do not heavily impede communication, but they prevent the response from achieving a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and prepositional phrases such as 'a side road that branches' or sentences describing future changes using modal verbs ('will be replaced', 'will be built'). There are, however, some errors in grammar and punctuation throughout the text. These include missing articles ('consist of main road at centre'), incorrect prepositions or spacing ('i n the south-west'), subject-verb agreement issues ('Islip town consist'), and minor punctuation slips like lowercase 'i'. Fortunately, these errors rarely impede communication, and the meaning of the sentences remains clear. To improve further, the student needs to exercise greater control over articles, prepositions, and proofread for typographical slips.

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

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