Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 layouts provided illustrate the current map and the future development plans for the Islip town centre. At a glance, the most noticeable change is the introduction of the dual carriageway around the centre of this small town.

At present, a major portion of the northern side is occupied by the countryside and shops along the main road. According to the new plan, a dual carriageway will be constructed, which would create a circular boundary around the town centre, eliminating the countryside in the north. A commercial centre with shopping centre, parking facility for cars, a bus station, and new housing would be introduced, replacing the former shops to the north of the main road, Moreover, the main road would be converted into a path reserved for pedestrians only. The shops below the main road would shift a little south.

Currently, housing is at the middle and a huge park is located in the southeast corner. In future, housing would be placed in the southwest corner, and the park would be downsized, and new housing would be built in the remaining area. The school at the end of the former path, would later be at the periphery of the dual carriageway, at the same position, but with an additional boundary. The housing that was previously in the extreme south, would then shift a little to the right.

To summarise, the Islip town centre would undergo a lot of transformations as per the development plan, renovating it into an organised location.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response gives a clear overview of the major change—the dual carriageway encircling the centre—and describes the main north–south changes, including the pedestrian-only street, new facilities, housing and reduced park. Most locations are reported accurately, and the comparison between the present and planned layouts is sustained. Some details, however, are imprecise or misread: the countryside is not explicitly said to be eliminated, and the southern shops are retained rather than shifted south. The school is not at the end of the former path; it remains outside the new loop. The final claim that southern housing shifts right is also unclear, since the plan shows housing to the west and new housing in the middle. More exact spatial descriptions would strengthen an otherwise well-covered account.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information is organised in a clear sequence: an introduction and overview are followed by descriptions of the northern and southern areas, then a brief concluding summary. Linking expressions such as “At present,” “According to the new plan,” and “In future” help the reader follow the comparison across time. The paragraphs also group related features sensibly. Some cohesion is less controlled where several changes are packed into long sentences, particularly the sentence beginning “A commercial centre…”; the comma before “Moreover” also creates an awkward break. The final summary repeats the general idea of transformation without adding much. More concise sentence boundaries and clearer links between individual locations would make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

There is a useful range of vocabulary for describing change and location, including “circular boundary,” “downsized,” “periphery,” and “transformed” in the concluding idea. The writer also varies references to the plan rather than relying on one repeated phrase. However, some choices are imprecise or unnatural for map description: “a major portion … is occupied by the countryside” overstates the area, “commercial centre with shopping centre” is repetitive, and “the shops … would shift a little south” does not accurately describe their retention. “Huge park” is also less objective than a neutral size comparison. These occasional collocation and precision issues keep the vocabulary from being consistently flexible and exact; prefer standard map terms such as “located,” “replaced,” and “reduced in size.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex structures, including a relative clause in “housing that was previously in the extreme south” and a passive construction in “would be constructed.” Most sentences communicate the intended comparison clearly. Some grammatical and punctuation slips remain: “with shopping centre” needs an article or plural form, and the comma in “the school at the end of the former path, would later be…” incorrectly separates the subject from its verb. The sentence joining “the park would be downsized” and “new housing would be built” with repeated “and” is also cumbersome. Tense and modal choices are generally understandable, though consistent use of “would” for planned changes would improve control. Greater accuracy in articles, punctuation and sentence boundaries is needed for stronger performance.

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.