Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-18
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 below shows notable changes in the Grange park's layout between 1920 and today.
Overall, the majority of areas of the part have been re-developed while some the entrances have remained the same. Others have been removed completely.
Firstly, the stage for musicians and the fountain that existed in park in the past, have been completely replaced with amphitheatre for concerts and the rose garden with seats respectively. There used to be more seats and a rose garden on the the left side of the entrance from Eldon Street, but have rearranged to surround the main rose garden. Only one rose garden remains on the left side of the entrance from Arnold avenue, and the seats surrounding this garden have been given to the main rose garden.
Next, a new water feature along with an entrance to an underground car park have been constructed in the right side of the entrance from Eldon street. in the past there used to be a glasshouse and some seats in this area.
After that, a new cafe along with children's play area have been built near the right side of the entrance from Arnold avenue. There used to be a rose garden along with a pond for water plants here.
These changes highlight the changes that occured to the park after 1920.
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 student covers all key features of the two plans, comparing the 1920 layout of Grange Park with its current state. The response successfully identifies major conversions, such as the replacement of the stage and fountain with an amphitheatre and a central rose garden, as well as the addition of the underground car park, cafe, and water feature. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, outlining general re-development and unchanged entrances. However, there are minor inaccuracies in reading the map details, such as stating that seats 'have been rearranged to surround the main rose garden' when the plan shows a dedicated rose garden surrounded by seats. Overall, the task is addressed well and the main features are reported accurately enough to meet the Band 6.5 descriptor, rounding to 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized with an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs addressing different areas of the park (firstly, next, after that). Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct geographical zones of the park. Cohesive devices are employed to signal transitions, such as 'Firstly', 'Next', and 'After that', though some referencing is slightly clunky or mechanical (e.g., repeating 'entrance from Eldon Street' and 'entrance from Arnold avenue'). Paragraphing and overall progression are clear, allowing the reader to follow the spatial comparisons easily. This aligns well with a Band 6.0 or solid Band 6.5 performance, fitting standard coherence descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 're-developed', 'replaced', 'amphitheatre', 'glasshouse', and 'underground car park'. There are some lexical and punctuation inaccuracies, such as capitalization errors ('part' instead of 'park', lowercase 'in' at the start of a sentence in paragraph 4, 'occured' with a double 'c' and single 'r'), and slight awkwardness in phrasing like 'have been given to the main rose garden'. Nevertheless, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the spatial changes clearly without impeding communication, earning a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and passive structures (e.g., 'have been completely replaced', 'have been constructed'). There are several grammatical and mechanical errors throughout the text, including missing articles ('some the entrances', 'with amphitheatre'), typos ('occured'), and preposition issues ('in the right side' instead of 'on the right side'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication, and the sentence structures show adequate variety. This performance reflects the Band 6 descriptors for grammar.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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