Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-08-19

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The diagram below shows a town square and surrounding area in 2014 and the plans for development of the area to be completed by 2020. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

The illustration compares the layouts of a town square and the area around it in 2014 with the developed area plan completed by 2020.

overall, the fountain and the town hall remained intact and several new features like: plant bed, children's playground, covered seating, local artists' gallery have been added after modernization. Some of the features have been removed completely or moved to a new spot like: bar, fish market, library, history museum, and administrative building.

The fish market in the upper left corner of the square has been replaced by supermarket and the history museum right bottom of the fish market by local artists' gallery, while the library in the bottom left corner has been completely removed from the layout after development. The bar and the fish restaurant was also removed and a new zone was created right below the square designated for bars and restaurants. The whole administrative building, the bottom section and the left bottom section has been turned into shops. The town hall in the upper right corner remained intact. In the middle area of the square, the bandstand was removed and several new features was added like: plant beds, covered seating and children's playground, while the fountain in the center of the square remained unchanged.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response effectively identifies the main features of the town square development. You have successfully highlighted the key changes, such as the removal of the bandstand and the addition of the children's playground and gallery. The comparison between 2014 and 2020 is clear, and the overview provides a good summary of the transformation. To reach a higher band, ensure that all spatial references are precise; for example, describing the location of the new restaurant zone could be more specific. Overall, the response covers all parts of the task well and provides a clear, logical summary of the provided information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, moving from an overview to specific details about the changes. Paragraphing is used to separate the introduction/overview from the detailed body analysis. While the flow is generally good, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical. For instance, the list format using colons and the repetitive use of 'the' before nouns could be improved by using more varied linking phrases or transition words to connect the sentences more fluidly. However, the progression of ideas remains clear throughout the text, making it easy for the reader to follow the changes described.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the changes, such as 'modernization', 'intact', 'designated', and 'layout'. These terms are appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'right bottom of the fish market', which sounds slightly unnatural. Additionally, the phrasing 'the whole administrative building... has been turned into shops' is clear but could be more sophisticated. Expanding your range of collocations and using more precise geographical descriptors would help elevate your score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement, such as 'several new features was added' (should be 'were added') and 'the bar and the fish restaurant was also removed' (should be 'were'). Punctuation is generally functional, though the use of colons to introduce lists is slightly informal for this type of report. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for pluralization and verb agreement will significantly improve your accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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