Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-13

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 maps compare the current of Islip town and how it will look like after planned future developments.

Overall, town is expected to go through extensive changes in future with the most notable changes include addition of new housing, a double carriageway around the town, a shopping centre and a bus station.

At present, there is a main road passing through the town, to the north of this road there are a number of shops and further north a countryside area. To the south of the main road, there are shops as well and further south there is housing for people. A small road branches off from the west of main road which leads to school, similarly a small way from east of main road takes to the housing park.

In future, a two way road to be built around the town and previous main which passes through the town to be used pedestrians only. The north side shops will be removed and replaced by a new housing, additional car park space, a new shopping centre and a bus station. There will be no changes to the shops on the south of previously main road and school location.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main contrast between the existing town centre and its planned redevelopment, and your overview highlights several major changes, including the dual carriageway, shopping centre and bus station. The present layout is also described clearly in broad terms. However, some important planned details are omitted or unclear: the southern area will include new housing and a smaller park, while the school and housing to its south remain outside the road loop. There is also a factual misreading in saying the eastern side road leads to a “housing park”; it leads into the park. The northern replacements are listed, but their west-to-east arrangement is not made clear. This covers the task, though some features need fuller and more precise reporting.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, a description of the current map and a final paragraph about the plan. This gives the reader a sensible progression from present to future, and linking phrases such as “At present,” “To the south,” and “In future” help signal the stages. Some connections are less precise, however. “Similarly” does not clearly express the relationship between the two side roads, and “previous main” is an unclear reference to the main road. The final paragraph also combines several planned changes without describing the southern redevelopment, so the progression feels incomplete. More explicit grouping by location, with clear references to each road and area, would make the organisation more consistently effective.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of map vocabulary, including “branches off,” “replaced,” “pedestrians only,” and “planned future developments,” which helps communicate the main changes. There are also attempts at more specific description, such as “double carriageway.” Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or imprecise: “the current of Islip town” is not a natural way to introduce the map, “a small way” is unclear, and “housing park” combines two distinct map features. “Two way road” is also less precise than the map’s “dual carriageway.” These choices do not prevent the reader from understanding the general account, but more accurate map terminology and natural collocations would improve precision and flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including clauses with “which” and “where,” and most of the intended meaning remains understandable. However, some grammatical errors recur. The opening phrase “the current of Islip town” lacks a suitable noun construction, while “Overall, town” is missing an article. In “with the most notable changes include,” the structure after “with” is faulty; use a noun phrase or a clause such as “the most notable changes being…” The future description also needs a finite verb: “a two way road to be built” should be “a two-way road will be built.” These errors, alongside awkward sentence patterns, limit accuracy; more reliable control of articles, verb forms and clause construction would strengthen the response.

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