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Writing Academic Task 1 Band 9.0 Example

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215 words AcademicTask 1Map

Task 1

Illustrative target band for this original model answer.

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Ideas to explore

Separate features that remain from those that have been added, relocated or replaced; the business units and car park remain, while the IT centre gives way to an innovation centre.
Describe the shift in land use: open grassland in the northwest is now substantially developed, while trees remain in the southwest.
Treat transport access as a key change, noting the cycle path, station and bus stop, while also mentioning the railway that continues to border the site.

Suggested structure

Introduce the maps and identify the time comparison.
Give an overview of the most important changes: redevelopment and improved access.
Describe the 2008 arrangement by area, covering open land and existing facilities.
Compare the current layout, highlighting retained and replaced buildings.
Finish with access changes and any transport feature that remains.

Useful vocabulary & examples

give way to: to be replaced by something new
The IT centre has given way to an innovation centre.
remain in broadly similar positions: to stay in approximately the same locations
The business units remain in broadly similar positions.
be concentrated in: to be located mainly within a particular area
Woodland was concentrated in the southwest.
border the site: to run along the edge of an area
The railway continues to border the site to the east.

Task Prompt

The maps below show a science park in 2008 and the same park today. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

User Essay Analysis

Review the public answer with report-style highlights.

Band 9.0

The maps compare the layout of a science park in 2008 and its current configuration. Overall, the park has undergone significant changes by modernising its facilities and improving its accessibility. In 2008, woodland and grassland occupied the northwest and southwest sides of the park and a small area adjacent to a car park in the centre. The park's built facilities were concentrated mainly in the north and east, while business units stood in the west. An IT centre and a cyber security building were located in the southern part of the site.

Today, the business units remain in the west and the car park is still near the centre. However, the former IT centre has been replaced by an innovation centre, while cyber security is now positioned at the eastern edge. In the north, a research and development building and a university hub have been added; offices remain in the northeast, although the reception is no longer shown. The former open area in the northwest has therefore been substantially developed, while trees are still present in the southwest. Access has also improved: a cycle path runs along the eastern side and across part of the park, and a station and bus stop are now shown. The railway continues to border the site to the east.

Targeted Improvement Tips

Make the overview name both the main land-use change in the northwest and the access improvements, rather than relying mainly on a broad phrase such as “significant changes”.

Group the added transport features—cycle path, station and bus stop—in one clearly signposted comparison so the accessibility trend is easy to identify.

Check each location phrase against the map and use consistent directional labels, such as “northwest”, “southwest” and “eastern edge”, to keep spatial comparisons precise.

AI Feedback

Overall Band

9.0

Excellent

Words

215

Type

Map

Criteria Breakdown

Task Achievement

8.0 Band

The overview identifies the two broad trends—facility redevelopment and improved access—and the answer covers major retained and added features, such as the business units, university hub, station and cycle path. The comparisons are generally well selected. One refinement would be to make the transformation of the northwest more explicit in the overview, so the main change to the park’s land use is immediately clear.

Coherence & Cohesion

8.0 Band

The answer is easy to follow: it introduces the maps, describes the 2008 arrangement, then shifts to the current layout with “Today”. Contrasts such as “remain” and “has been replaced” help readers distinguish unchanged from altered features. The final access details are relevant, though a clearer grouping of transport changes together could make the second paragraph’s progression even more deliberate.

Lexical Resource

8.0 Band

Phrases including “built facilities”, “positioned at the eastern edge” and “has been substantially developed” provide useful variety and suit a map description. The vocabulary also distinguishes changes from continuities, rather than relying on repeated “there is”. “Configuration” is accurate but slightly formal; an optional refinement is to use “layout” consistently for a more direct description of the maps.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

8.0 Band

The response uses accurate complex structures, including “while” contrasts and the semicolon joining the new northern facilities with the retained offices. The colon in “Access has also improved:” effectively introduces specific evidence. No major grammatical problem interrupts meaning. As a refinement, check that long sentences remain balanced; the sentence beginning “In 2008” could be divided to give the land-use description more emphasis.

Topic Band Distribution

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Writing Academic Task 1 Band 9.0 Example

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