Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-11-12

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The plans below show a public park when it first opened in 1920 and the same park today.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The plan shows how Grange Park has been changed structurally between 1920 and now.

Overall, the park has been changed completely except the entrance part. The fountain area has been replaced by a rose garden surrounding by seats, the glasshouse has been replaced by a water feature and an amphitheatre for concerts has been taken the place of the stage for musicians.

The previous plan shows a pond for water plants which has been replaced by children's play area. The sitting area has been completely excluded from the park side walls in the new plan. The glasshouse has been excluded.

The recent plan has a cafe just right to the entrance. An underground car park has been built just below the water feature.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important changes, including the central fountain being replaced by a rose garden with seats, the pond becoming a children’s play area, and the glasshouse site becoming a water feature. The overview also recognises that the park has undergone substantial redevelopment. However, the claim that it changed “completely except the entrance part” is too broad: the north-west rose garden remains, and the entrances are not the only features retained. The amphitheatre occupies the western area, but it replaces both the former stage and the south-west rose garden, not just the stage. The response also omits the café’s location and the retained north-west garden. At 123 words, it does not meet the 150-word minimum, and several comparisons need fuller, more precise coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overall summary, and two paragraphs describing changes. This helps the reader follow the main topic, and phrases such as “has been replaced” connect the two plans. However, the progression between details is limited: the final paragraph returns to the northern area after the previous paragraph has discussed the pond and glasshouse, rather than grouping locations consistently. Some references are also unclear, particularly “the entrance part” and “the park side walls.” The repeated use of “replaced” and “excluded” makes the links mechanical, while the short response leaves several comparisons undeveloped. Organise the description by area or by major changes, and use clearer references and a wider range of linking expressions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing changes, including “fountain,” “rose garden,” “water feature,” “amphitheatre,” and “underground car park.” These terms make the main features identifiable. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or imprecise: “changed structurally” is awkward, “sitting area” is less suitable than “seating,” and “excluded from the park side walls” does not clearly describe the removal of seats along the edges. “Taken the place of” is understandable but less natural in this sentence. The vocabulary range is adequate for the task but relies heavily on a few repeated change expressions. Use precise location and comparison language, such as “along the western edge” or “was converted into,” to report the plans more clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer sentences, and the main message is generally understandable. However, errors in verb forms and sentence construction occur in several key descriptions. For example, “the park has been changed completely except the entrance part” needs a clearer construction, while “an amphitheatre … has been taken the place of the stage” has an incorrect verb pattern. In “the rose garden surrounding by seats,” the participle form is also incorrect. The response relies mainly on present-perfect passive forms, so it shows limited structural variety. Practise accurate passive constructions (“has been replaced by”) and use a range of past and present forms to distinguish the 1920 layout from the current one.

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

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