Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-18

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The two maps below show road access to a city hospital in 2007 and 2010.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons wherever relevant.

Student answer (Band 8.0)

The maps illustrate the changes made to the road layout and transport facilities surrounding City Hospital between 2007 and 2010.

Overall, the area underwent a substantial redevelopment, most notably with the introduction of two roundabouts on Hospital Road. In addition, the original car park was divided according to its users, a new public car park was constructed, and the existing bus stops were replaced by a dedicated bus station.

In 2007, Hospital Road ran directly south from the hospital's Ring Road to City Road. Several bus stops were located along both sides of this road, while a single car park for staff and the public occupied the area to its east, between the Ring Road and City Road.

By 2010, the road system had been considerably reorganised. Two roundabouts had been constructed on Hospital Road, one at its junction with City Road and the other immediately south of the hospital. The latter also provided access to the newly arranged parking facilities. The original car park had become a staff-only facility, while a separate public car park had been added to the east of the Ring Road. Meanwhile, the bus stops along Hospital Road had been removed and replaced by a bus station situated to the southwest of the hospital, next to the new road layout.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response8.0
Coherence and Cohesion7.5
Lexical Resource7.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy8.0
Overall8.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully satisfies the requirements of Academic Task 1. The student provides a clear and accurate overview of the changes between 2007 and 2010, noting the redevelopment of the road layout, transport facilities, and parking areas. Key features such as the introduction of roundabouts, the division of the car park into staff and public zones, and the replacement of individual bus stops with a designated bus station are all accurately reported. The comparisons between the two maps are logically structured and directly supported by the visual data without introducing irrelevant outside information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response demonstrates a clear and logical organization throughout. Information is well sequenced, starting with an introductory statement, followed by a concise overview paragraph, and then detailed descriptions of the 2007 map and the 2010 map in subsequent paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In addition', 'Meanwhile', and referencing pronouns are used skillfully and unobtrusively. Paragraphing is logical, with each paragraph serving a distinct purpose in developing the overall summary of the maps.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The student uses a wide, natural, and flexible range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic task comparing geographical or structural layouts. Less common lexical items and collocations are used skillfully, such as 'substantial redevelopment', 'considerably reorganised', 'designated', and 'dedicated bus station'. Word choice and collocations are accurate throughout, and there are no noticeable spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication, demonstrating a high degree of precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

A wide variety of complex sentence structures is used effectively throughout the text, including participial phrases ('surrounding City Hospital') and subordinate clauses. Grammatical control is exceptionally strong, with the majority of sentences being completely error-free. Tenses are handled appropriately to describe past states and subsequent changes ('had been constructed', 'ran', 'were located'). Punctuation is accurate, and minor slips are virtually absent, fully supporting a high-level performance.

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