Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-29
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 8.5)
The two maps illustrate how road access to a city hospital changed between 2007 and 2010.
Overall, the area underwent several major changes during the three-year period. The most noticeable developments were the construction of two roundabouts, the replacement of six bus stops with a single bus station, and the separation of parking facilities for staff and the public. The Ring Road and the hospital itself remained largely unchanged.
In 2007, the hospital was surrounded by Ring Road, which was connected to City Road by Hospital Road. Six bus stops were located along Hospital Road, with three positioned on each side. To the east of this road, there was one car park shared by both hospital staff and members of the public.
By 2010, substantial modifications had been made. Two roundabouts had been constructed, one at the junction of Hospital Road and Ring Road and the other where Hospital Road met City Road. The six original bus stops were removed and replaced by a new bus station on the western side of Hospital Road, which was connected to both roundabouts. Meanwhile, the original shared car park became exclusively for staff, while a separate public car park was built to the east of the hospital and accessed from Ring Road.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 9.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 8.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 8.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 8.0 |
| Overall | 8.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 9.0
The student fully addresses all parts of the task by providing a clear and comprehensive summary of the changes shown in the two maps of the city hospital between 2007 and 2010. The overview in the second paragraph effectively highlights the main developments, such as the construction of roundabouts, the replacement of bus stops with a bus station, and the reorganisation of parking spaces. Key features are accurately reported and well-compared across the two time periods, such as the transition from a shared car park to separate staff and public facilities. The information is entirely grounded in the provided data without any extraneous or invented details. Overall, this represents an exceptional execution of Task 1 requirements.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.0
The response exhibits a logical progression and is organised skilfully into four distinct paragraphs. The introduction clearly states the purpose of the maps, followed by a well-crafted overview paragraph that encapsulates the main trends. The body paragraphs are logically divided into the 2007 layout and the 2010 modifications, making the information very easy to follow. Cohesive devices are used naturally and effectively, such as 'In 2007', 'By 2010', and 'Meanwhile', which guide the reader smoothly through the spatial and temporal comparisons without ever attracting undue attention.
Lexical Resource: Band 8.0
The student demonstrates a wide and flexible lexical resource that is well-suited to describing visual data. Appropriate vocabulary is used consistently throughout the text, including terms like 'underwent', 'noticeable developments', 'exclusively', and 'substantial modifications'. Collocations are natural, and precision is maintained when describing locations and structural changes. There are no notable word choice errors, and the vocabulary allows for sophisticated control and clear communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0
A wide range of grammatical structures is used with a high degree of accuracy. The student successfully employs complex sentence forms, such as 'The most noticeable developments were the construction of two roundabouts, the replacement of six bus stops with a single bus station, and the separation of parking facilities for staff and the public.' Verb tenses are managed correctly to shift between the past state in 2007 and the subsequent modifications by 2010. The vast majority of sentences are completely error-free, reflecting a strong command of grammar and punctuation.
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