Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-07

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 plans given demonstrate a public park when it first opened in the 1920s and the same plan today in 2026 which is more than a century and the park has undergone a complete renovation which gives it a modernized look and absolutely great ambience for people to enjoy.

Back in the 1920, the Grange park had two entrances; one at the Arnold Avenue and second at Eldon street that remains the same today as well. Furthermore, earlier there was rose garden at three different places in the park itself with seating arrangements all near it and if you entered from the Arnold avenue entrance on the left side there was a pond for water plants. Today, the rose garden is situated in the middle of the garden and has seating arrangement enclosing it and at that place there was a fountain, there is another rose garden as well near the Arnold avenue entrance. Adding further, where there was a pond now it has been changed into a children's play area and has water feature right in front of it which was once a glasshouse with seats near it. Another great upgrade that is visible is that today we have Amphitheatre for concerts and in the earlier days it was a stage for musicians.

Conclusively, the garden has went under a drastic upgrade in the past century.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the park in 1920 and today. You have successfully identified key changes, such as the relocation of the rose gardens, the conversion of the pond into a play area, and the addition of the amphitheatre. However, the overview is slightly informal and lacks a clear, concise summary of the most significant trends. While you mention the park has been 'modernized', a more analytical approach would involve grouping the changes (e.g., the removal of original features versus the addition of new recreational facilities). The report is accurate, but could be improved by focusing more on the spatial relationships between the features to provide a more professional summary.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into three paragraphs, which is appropriate for this task. You use some cohesive devices like 'Furthermore', 'Adding further', and 'Conclusively' to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. The progression of information is generally logical, moving from the entrances to the specific features within the park. To reach a higher band, ensure that referencing is precise; for instance, phrases like 'at that place there was a fountain' are slightly ambiguous and could be clarified by explicitly stating the location. Overall, the flow is clear, but the paragraphing could be more balanced to separate the introduction/overview from the body details.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'renovation', 'modernized', 'ambience', and 'amphitheatre'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'the garden has went under a drastic upgrade', which should be 'has undergone'. Additionally, 'at three different places' is a bit simplistic. To improve, try to use more precise descriptive language for spatial layouts, such as 'situated in the northern quadrant' or 'replaced by'. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning clearly, but lacks the sophistication and flexibility required for higher band scores.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist. For example, 'the garden has went under' is incorrect (should be 'has undergone'), and 'in the 1920' should be 'in the 1920s'. There are also some punctuation issues, such as the run-on sentence in the introduction. While you attempt complex structures, they are not always error-free. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage when describing historical changes versus current states. The errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score.

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

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