Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-08

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 7.0)

The maps show the current version of a small municipality, Islip and the proposed changes for its modernization.

From the maps, it can be seen a major overhaul is planned for Islip. A bus station, shopping centre and car parking are all new facilities that have been proposed. The addition of new housing along with a new dual carriageway is also in the plans. Modification of the towns layout is also a part of the proposal.

Currently, towards the north of Islip is the countryside. Slightly below are the shops, sandwiched in between the shops is the main road. A large housing area is located beneath the shops. Towards the south east is a large park. The school is placed in the south west, besides the housing.

In the new developments, it is proposed to build a round dual carriageway, inside which will be a mixture of the old and new facilties. In the outer circle of the carriageway, towards the south of the town remains the housing and the school, albeit the school's structure has marginally increased in size. At the south of the inner circle, inside the radius of the carriageway is the new housing area and the shrunken park. The old northern shops have been converted into a bus station, shopping centre, car park and more housing, all placed adjacent to each other. The main road has been transformed into a walk only zone, while the lower shopping market from before remains preserved along with the southward old housing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response gives a clear overview of the scale of redevelopment and identifies the main additions, including the bus station, shopping centre, car park, new housing and dual carriageway. It also compares the present and planned layouts, noting that the central road becomes pedestrian-only and that the southern shops remain. Most locations are reported accurately. However, a few details are misread or imprecise: the school is not shown as increasing in size, and the new housing is not all part of the former northern shops area; one new housing area is northeast of the car park. The description of the current school as southwest and the park as southeast is broadly useful, but the overview could more clearly summarise the major spatial changes, especially the replacement of the northern shops and the reduced park.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised into a clear introduction, overview, description of the current map and account of the proposed plan. This gives the reader a logical progression from the broad changes to specific locations. Linking phrases such as “Currently” and “In the new developments” help distinguish the two stages, while “along with” and “while” connect related changes. The main limitation is that some spatial relationships are expressed awkwardly or vaguely, for example “Slightly below are the shops, sandwiched in between the shops is the main road” and “inside the radius of the carriageway.” These phrases make the map description less precise than the overall organisation. Use clearer directional sequencing and avoid repeating “towards” when a direct north/south/east/west reference is available.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

There is a reasonably varied range of vocabulary for describing development, including “major overhaul,” “proposed,” “converted,” “preserved” and “shrunken.” These choices help avoid simple repetition and show some flexibility. However, several expressions are imprecise or do not fit the map-description context naturally: “current version” and “modernization” are less suitable than straightforward terms such as “present layout” and “redevelopment”; “car parking” is less exact than “car park”; and “walk only zone” is an awkward rendering of “pedestrian-only area.” There are also spelling and word-form slips, notably “facilties,” and “lower shopping market” is unclear. More precise map vocabulary and careful proofreading would improve control and naturalness.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including passive constructions such as “have been proposed” and “have been converted,” as well as contrast clauses with “while” and “albeit.” Most sentences communicate the intended changes clearly. Some grammatical problems remain, however. The opening overview has an awkward construction in “From the maps, it can be seen a major overhaul is planned”; it needs “that” after “seen.” The sentence beginning “Slightly below are the shops” has an unclear structure, and “inside which will be a mixture” is an awkward inversion. There are also inconsistent article and preposition patterns in location descriptions. Aim for direct sentence structures, and check that each clause has a clear subject and verb.

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