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)

Given the image shows the current infrastructure of a little town named Islip, and it's future development plan.

Overall, the shape of the town will be vary in the future, and the space for the housing will be more than now in the future plan.

Firstly, the main road will replaced by a pedestrians only road in the new plan. The shops in the North will be replaced by a shopping centre. The car park will build next to the shopping centre.

Furthermore, there will be some added features in the future such as bus station in the North-West and a new housing project in the North-East of the city.

The shops in the middle of the town and the school will be in the same place both in the present and the future. The park situated in the South-East of the city will be smaller than in the present. There will be a new dual carriageway all around the city.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main direction of change and give a clear overview: the central road becomes pedestrian-only, a dual carriageway is added, and the park is reduced. Several key locations are also reported accurately, including the northern bus station and the new housing in the northeast. This covers the task well, while the overview and some comparisons remain general rather than fully developed. For example, the northern shops are not simply replaced by a shopping centre: the planned bus station, shopping centre and car park occupy that northern strip. You also say the school stays in the same place, although the plan shows it remaining south of the new carriageway loop. Include the retained southern shops and explain more precisely how housing changes to make the comparison more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing planned changes and retained features. Sequencing words such as “Firstly” and “Furthermore” help signal progression, and the reader can follow the main comparisons. However, the organisation is somewhat list-like, and the links between related locations could be clearer. For instance, the northern replacements are split across short statements, while the southern shops, housing and school could be grouped into a more systematic comparison of the map’s areas. “The shops in the middle” is also not a precise reference, since the map distinguishes the northern and southern rows. Use clearer location-based grouping and more exact referencing to make cohesion less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use enough relevant vocabulary to describe the maps, including “infrastructure,” “pedestrians only,” “dual carriageway,” “North-West” and “South-East.” These terms show awareness of the task’s spatial and planning language, and the meaning is generally clear. The range is adequate, but some wording is imprecise or does not fit naturally: “the shape of the town will be vary” and “some added features” are vague, while “new housing project” suggests a project rather than a mapped land-use area. Repeated use of “future” and “town/city” also limits variety. Aim for precise map-description phrases such as “the layout will be reorganised,” “additional facilities,” and “an area of new housing,” while retaining the map’s exact labels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple sentences and more developed structures, including the overview sentence beginning “Overall” and the comparison “The park … will be smaller than in the present.” Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur and prevent consistently accurate control. Examples include “will be vary” instead of “will vary,” “will replaced” instead of “will be replaced,” and “will build” where a passive form is needed. There are also article and number issues in “such as bus station” and “a pedestrians only road.” Practise future forms and passive constructions, especially when describing planned changes, and check articles and plural forms. More accurate sentence patterns would make the comparisons easier to read.

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