User-written IELTS example

Writing Academic Task 1 Band 8.0 Example

Original task prompt, user essay, band score, and related examples in the same report workspace.

198 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 8.0

The given maps illustrate the layout of the science park in 2008 and its present state. Overall, minor but significant developments were made in the park’s facilities, enhancing both accessibility and functionality. In 2008, the park was green, surrounded by grassland and woodland. The reception building was located next to the offices. The car park occupied a central position, with business units to the west and an IT centre in the southwest. A cyber security building stood in the southeast, while the offices and reception were in the northeast. A road ran along the eastern edge, and a railway bordered the southern side.

Today, the reception has been replaced by a university hub, and a research and development building has been added north of it. The offices remain in the northeast, while the business units have been retained in the west. The former IT centre has been redeveloped as an innovation centre, and cyber security remains in the southeast. The car park is still central, though rearranged. Transport access has also been improved: a cycle path crosses the park, a bus stop is shown beside the eastern road, and a station has been added near the southeast railway.

Targeted Improvement Tips

Replace the general overview with a concise summary of the major transformations: new research and university facilities, the innovation centre, and improved transport access.

Compare features directly where possible, for example, state that the IT centre became the innovation centre and the reception was replaced by the university hub.

Use precise map descriptions for position and land cover, such as “in the northeast,” “along the southern edge,” and “areas of grassland and woodland.”

AI Feedback

Overall Band

8.0

Excellent

Words

198

Type

Map

Criteria Breakdown

Task Achievement

7.5 Band

The response covers the main changes, including the new “university hub” and “research and development building,” the IT centre’s replacement by an innovation centre, and new transport features. It also notes facilities that remain, such as the offices and business units. The overview’s “minor but significant developments” is somewhat general given the additions and redevelopments described. A sharper overview could name the main changes and the transport improvements directly.

Coherence & Cohesion

8.0 Band

The answer moves logically from an overview to the 2008 layout and then the present-day changes, with clear time markers such as “In 2008” and “Today.” The final sentence groups the cycle path, bus stop and station as transport improvements, which gives the description a useful endpoint. To make the comparison even easier to follow, pair each current feature with its earlier counterpart rather than describing all earlier locations first.

Lexical Resource

7.5 Band

Location and change vocabulary is relevant and varied: “bordered the southern side,” “has been replaced by,” and “has been redeveloped as” communicate map relationships efficiently. “Minor but significant” is a slightly imprecise pairing, and “green” is less specific than the map’s named land features. Consider “notable changes” for the overview and use exact map labels such as grassland and woodland when describing the site.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

8.0 Band

The response uses accurate simple and complex structures, including the participial phrase “enhancing both accessibility and functionality” and the contrast in “The car park is still central, though rearranged.” Tense choices distinguish the earlier map from current conditions consistently. For a further refinement, use parallel sentence patterns when comparing retained, replaced and newly added features; no major grammatical error disrupts meaning here.

Topic Band Distribution

Band 9.03 examples

Band 8.03 examples

Band 7.03 examples

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Band 5.03 examples

Band 4.03 examples

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