Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-09

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 illustrates the changes that are made to a public park between the year 1920, when it was inaugurated and today.

The two pictures show a number of removals, such as, stage for musicians, ponds for water plants and glasshouse. Amphitheatre for concerts, water feature and children's play area are new additions to the park, while fountain and seats are just replaced.

The major changes in the park is the replacement of stage for musicians by the Amphitheatre for concerts at the left side of the map. The fountain was the central figure in 1920 that was removed and the rose garden took in its place surrounding the seats. The cafe is the new addition to the park that is settled at top right corner before another new structure, the children's play area.

The water feature is another main changes in the park that took the place of glasshouse.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the park's transformation, identifying key removals and additions such as the amphitheatre, cafe, and play area. However, the overview is somewhat fragmented. While the prompt is addressed, the description of the changes lacks a cohesive summary of the overall trend. Some details, such as the specific locations, are mentioned, but the report could be improved by grouping features more logically to provide a clearer comparison between 1920 and today. The response meets the minimum length requirement, but the depth of analysis is limited, keeping it within the mid-range of the band descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For instance, the transition between the second and third paragraphs is abrupt. There is a reliance on simple listing rather than fluid, connected sentences. While the progression of ideas is generally logical, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the repetitive structure of the sentences limit the flow. Improving the use of referencing (e.g., 'the former', 'the latter') would enhance the overall coherence of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the changes clearly. There are some attempts at topic-specific vocabulary, such as 'inaugurated', 'additions', and 'replacement'. However, there are noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'The plans illustrates' (subject-verb agreement) and 'took in its place' (incorrect prepositional phrase). The range is somewhat limited, and the repetition of basic verbs like 'show' and 'is' prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. More precise terminology for describing spatial changes would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('The plans illustrates', 'The major changes... is'), missing articles ('such as, stage for musicians'), and awkward phrasing ('that is settled at top right corner'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. To improve, the student should focus on consistent subject-verb agreement and the correct use of definite and indefinite articles when describing specific features on a map.

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

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