The plans below show a public park when it first opened in 1920 and the same park today.

Same questionCompare 13 different answers (Band 7–9)

Sample Response

1

The two plans depict the layout of Grange Park at its opening in 1920 and its current layout todaypresent-day configuration.

2

Overall, the park has undergone extensive redevelopment. A number of original garden features including the fountain, pond,fountain, pond and several rose gardens have been removed, though the two main entrances have been retained. Large sections of the site have been repurposed to provide modern recreational amenities for visitors.

3

Of all the original rose gardens, only the north-western one still exists, while the north-eastern and south-western onescounterparts have been removedvanished. The former stage for musicians and its surrounding seats haveassociated seating have been demolished and replaced by a larger amphitheatre for concerts. In the park’s centre, a compact rose garden surrounded by four sets of seatsencircled by seating has been constructed on the spot where the fountain once stood. Access is still available through the two original entrancesgateways on Arnold Avenue and Eldon Street.

4

In the south-east, the old glasshouse has made way for a café and a children’s play area. Meanwhile, in the north-east, the former pond for water plants and the old rose garden have been transformed into an expanded water feature, alongside which an entrance to an underground car park has been added.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 8.5

The response excels in its sophisticated cohesive structure and highly natural, accurate grammatical phrasing throughout. Its main limitation is a minor spatial misstatement regarding the positioning of new amenities on the eastern side of the park. To achieve perfection, ensure that directional locations—such as north-east and south-east features—strictly correspond to the visual diagram.

Band score breakdown

IELTS Writing Criteria Scores

TA

Task Achievement

8.0
Scoring rule

The report provides a clear overview and covers almost all key developments and comparisons effectively, though it slightly misplaces the positions of the new eastern amenities.

Next step

Double-check directional relationships against the diagram to ensure all spatial details precisely reflect the visual layout.

CC

Coherence and Cohesion

8.5
Scoring rule

Information is organized logically with smooth progression and seamless transitions across all paragraphs.

Next step

Maintain this high standard of paragraphing and logical sequencing in future tasks.

LR

Lexical Resource

8.5
Scoring rule

Vocabulary is varied, precise, and sophisticated, using spatial and developmental terms naturally.

Next step

Continue using a wide range of topic-specific vocabulary with precision.

GRA

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

9.0
Scoring rule

Sentence structures are varied, fully flexible, and entirely error-free throughout the text.

Next step

Sustain this level of sentence variety and grammatical control across different prompt types.

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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

The plans below show a public park when it first opened in 1920 and the same park today.

Your response

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