Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-22

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 illustrate current and future developed version of center of a small town center called Islip.

Overall, the developed version looks very advance with proper roads, footpaths, parking, streched housing area and bus station compare to the current situation where there is no proper carriageways, no parking etc.

As this area is center of the city so the developed version contains proper two way carriageway around compare to current one small link road. In the planned version, the shops at the south of the main road will remain same while the north will serve as bus station, big shopping center and proper car parking along side new housing facilty which will have a link road attached with the carriageway.

Most noticeable feature is expansion of housing in this center. In the south side of the current main road, the current housing will be moved to the west just before the carriageway. A new housing section will be added at the eastern side of the current housing which will also overtake the park area, resulting in shrinking of park. School will have a little more extra space and the housing at the east of school will remain same.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main contrast between the existing town centre and the planned redevelopment, and you report several important changes: the northern shops are replaced by a bus station, shopping centre and car park, while the southern shops remain and the park becomes smaller. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear. The plan shows the existing housing divided into areas, including new housing in the middle, rather than simply being moved west; it does not show the school gaining extra space. The claim that housing will “overtake the park area” also overstates the change, as the park is reduced but retained. A clearer overview of the pedestrian-only street and the dual-carriageway loop, followed by more precise descriptions of the southern changes, would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overall statement and two paragraphs describing the proposed changes. This gives the reader a generally coherent route through the information, and phrases such as “while” and “In the planned version” help signal comparisons. However, the overview mixes map description with evaluation (“very advance” and “proper”), and the final paragraph combines several changes without clearly distinguishing what happens inside and outside the carriageway loop. Some references, such as “this center” and “the current housing,” are not sufficiently precise. Organising the details by location—north of the pedestrian street, then south of it, and finally the school area—would improve progression and make the comparisons easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of topic vocabulary, including “carriageway,” “footpaths,” “housing,” “bus station” and “shrinking,” so the main features are usually understandable. There are also attempts at more specific description, such as “link road” and “expansion of housing.” However, several choices are imprecise or informal for an academic map summary: “proper roads,” “big shopping center” and “overtake the park area” do not describe the plan accurately. Spelling and word-form slips, including “streched,” “facilty” and “advance,” also reduce control. Aim for neutral, precise terms such as “dual-carriageway loop,” “larger shopping centre” and “partly replaces,” and check spelling and standard British forms such as “centre.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including comparisons with “while” and a relative clause in “which will have a link road attached.” Most of the intended meaning can be followed, but some grammatical errors recur. The opening phrase needs articles and a clearer noun phrase: “the current and planned versions of the centre of Islip.” In “the north will serve as bus station,” the article is missing, and “compare to” should be formed as “compared with.” The sentence beginning “In the south side” also has an awkward prepositional pattern, while “School will have a little more extra space” is grammatically possible but unclear in meaning. More consistent article use, accurate comparison structures and careful sentence editing would improve accuracy.

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