Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-23
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 of the same public parks illustrate the comparison of years 1920 and the current year.
Overall, it can be clearly seen that there are some additions to the park today. Another entrance and a fountain is also made whereas, number of seats are less as compared to 1920.
Firstly, in year 1920, there is only two entrances. One on the Elden Street and second is on the Arnold Street to the public ground. Both are in front of each other. In year 2026,there are three entrances. two of them are at same locations as in 1920 but the third one is from the underground car parking.
In 1920, In between the entrances, there is a fountain while today there is a rose garden in the center of the park. Around the garden there are seats placed for the public. In 1920, rose garden was in upper corner. Today water feature is in the lower right corner of the park whereas, in 1920 there was a glasshouse. There is stage on left side today.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student addresses the task by comparing Grange Park in 1920 with its current layout, covering several key features such as the entrances, fountain, rose garden, and car park. However, there are notable inaccuracies and omissions in the data reporting. For instance, the text claims there were 'only two entrances' in 1920 when the plan shows two main street entrances alongside multiple surrounding pathways, and misreads some spatial relationships, such as claiming 'there is stage on left side today' when the map shows an amphitheatre and no traditional stage on the left. Furthermore, the overview is rather basic and misses significant changes like the addition of the children's play area and the café. The response fulfils the basic requirement of selecting and reporting main features, but the incomplete coverage and minor factual misreadings place it at Band 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a basic overall structure with an introduction, overview, and body paragraphs, showing an attempt at logical organization. However, paragraphing is somewhat disjointed, with very short, one-sentence paragraphs (such as the overview and concluding points) that lack full development. Cohesive devices are basic and sometimes repetitive or mechanically applied, such as 'Firstly' and 'In year 1920'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in phrases like 'Another entrance and a fountain is also made whereas, number of seats are less as compared to 1920'. Overall progression is hindered by choppy sentences and abrupt shifts between different areas of the park, resulting in a Band 5.5 performance for cohesion and coherence.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student uses an adequate vocabulary range to describe basic spatial features and changes, employing words like 'entrances', 'fountain', 'rose garden', 'underground car parking', and 'café'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'public grounds', 'in upper corner', and 'lower right corner' instead of standard cartographic terms like 'north-west corner'. Repetition of basic verbs ('is', 'are', 'there is') limits the lexical flexibility. While communication is not severely impeded, the presence of frequent basic inaccuracies and a lack of less common phrasing restrict the score to Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'a fountain is also made whereas, number of seats are less', 'there is only two entrances'), tense usage (shifting between past and present incorrectly, such as 'in year 2026, there are three entrances'), and missing articles (e.g., 'There is stage on left side today'). Punctuation is also faulty, with unnecessary commas separating clauses incorrectly. These frequent errors cause occasional difficulty for the reader and reflect a Band 5.0 grammatical profile.
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