Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-14
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 maps below compares the public park when it was first opened in 1920 with the same park today.
Overall, the entrances to the park remained the same throughout the years but there is an additional underground entrance as well now. Additionally, Stage for musicians is replace by amphitheatre for concerts and the seating has been reduced as well.
In 1920, there were only two main entrances one on the Eldon street and the other one on the Arnold avenue which where retained throughout the years but today, there is extra underground entrance for car park as well. There were three rose gardens on the three corners of the park. One on the left corner remained as it is but the one on the right is replaced with a cafe. One rose garden is created in the middle of the park in pace of the fountain which was previously situated in the center.
Furthermore, seats, where were with the outer boundary of the park, are now in the center around the rose garden. Children's play area is created by replacing the pond for water plants. Water feature is built on the opposite side of children's play area where there was a glasshouse.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all key features of the two maps comparing the public park in 1920 and today. You successfully identify major developments such as the replacement of the stage with an amphitheatre, the addition of the underground car park entrance, and the conversion of the glasshouse into a water feature. The overview is clearly stated at the beginning, noting general continuity and major changes. However, some comparisons could be further developed, and the description of the rose gardens has slight inaccuracies regarding their exact layout and transformations. Nevertheless, you have adequately fulfilled the requirements of Task 1 by selecting and reporting the main features with relevant comparisons.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay has a clear overall progression, moving from an introductory overview to specific details about entrances, gardens, and other features. Paragraphing is used, though the body paragraphs are quite dense and could be better divided for readability. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'Additionally', 'Furthermore', and 'In 1920', but some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, for example when you refer back to the rose gardens and entrances. To reach a higher band, ensure smoother transitions between sentences and more logical grouping of spatial details.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, successfully using topic-specific terms like 'amphitheatre', 'underground entrance', 'rose gardens', and 'glasshouse'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, but word choice and collocation are occasionally awkward, such as writing 'Stage for musicians is replace by amphitheatre' and 'in pace of the fountain'. Spelling is generally correct, but minor lexical errors and missing articles ('an additional underground entrance', 'on the Eldon street') prevent a higher score. Expanding your range of synonyms for changes and spatial descriptions will improve this area.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and prepositional phrases. However, there are several grammatical errors and punctuation lapses throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('The maps below compares'), missing articles ('on Eldon street'), and awkward phrasing ('seats, where were with the outer boundary'). Complex structures are attempted but sometimes result in faulty grammar. While these errors do not severely impede communication, they occur with enough frequency to keep the score at Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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