Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-30

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 given plans describe how a public park changed when when it first opened in 1920 and how the same park look today. Overall, rose garden remains same in top left corner in 1920 and today.

As per the given plans, in 1920, stage for musicians was built beside of fountain but it was replaced by Amphitheatre for concerts and fountain was replaced by rose garden with seats. Similarly, at the top right corner, there was a rose garden and pond for water plants in 1920 but it was replaced by cafe and children's play area. Not only this, in 1920, there was 4 seats but it was removed and placed around rose garden in center. Entrance remains same in 1920 as well as today. In 1920, in bottom-left corner, rose garden was built but today it was removed as well as from bottom right side, glasshouse was also removed and replaced with water feature. In todays time, entrance underground car park was built near water feature.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the park's transformation, including the removal and addition of various facilities. However, the description is somewhat disorganized and contains factual inaccuracies regarding the locations of features (e.g., the rose garden location). While the overview attempts to highlight a key change, it lacks a clear, comprehensive summary of the overall trends. The report would benefit from a more structured approach, grouping changes by area or type of facility to ensure the reader can easily follow the evolution of the park from 1920 to the present day.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, but the flow between ideas is often mechanical. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'in 1920' and 'today' to start sentences. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult to track the specific changes to the park's layout. To improve, you should use a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect your ideas more fluidly, and ensure that the progression of information follows a logical sequence, such as moving from the perimeter to the center of the park.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There is a reliance on basic verbs like 'built', 'removed', and 'replaced'. While you successfully use terms like 'amphitheatre', 'glasshouse', and 'underground car park', the overall range is limited. There are also some awkward collocations and minor errors in word choice, such as 'in todays time' and 'rose garden remains same'. Expanding your vocabulary to include more descriptive adjectives and varied verbs for change would significantly enhance the quality of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Issues include missing articles ('there was 4 seats'), subject-verb agreement errors ('rose garden remains same'), and awkward phrasing ('beside of fountain'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focusing on basic grammatical accuracy, such as correct article usage and pluralization, will help you achieve a more professional and error-free tone.

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

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