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Cambridge 14 Writing Task 1 Test 4 - Sample Answers (Band 9 to 4-5)
Real band 9, 8, 7 and 6.5 sample answers for this prompt, plus a genuine band 4-5 answer so you can see exactly what pulls a score down. Every sample comes with examiner-style notes on Task Achievement, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range & Accuracy.
The Prompt
Grange Park - 1920 Map vs. Present-Day Layout
The maps below show Grange Park in 1920 and how it looks now.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
The Data
Grange Park: changes from 1920 to present day
House (Arnold House): Large house with formal gardens (1920) → converted into a theatre / arts venue (now)
Rose garden: South of the house (1920) → retained in same location (now)
Pond: Ornamental pond, south-east corner (1920) → retained, now used for outdoor swimming
Woodland: North and east of the house (1920) → reduced; cafe and car park added (now)
Glasshouse: East of the house (1920) → retained and in use (now)
Entrance / paths: Single entrance from the north (1920) → new car park entrance added to the east; paths widened (now)
Open lawn: Open lawn to the west of the house (1920) → water feature / fountain added (now)
Parking: No car parking (1920) → car park added in former woodland to the north-east (now)
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204 wordsFrames the individual changes as part of one coherent shift from private estate to public attraction, not a list of unrelated facts.
The two maps compare Grange Park as it was in 1920 with its present-day layout.
Overall, while several original features of the park have been retained in their original locations, the central house has been repurposed entirely, and new visitor facilities, including a car park, have been added at the expense of some of the original woodland.
The most significant change concerns the house itself, formerly a large private residence known as Arnold House, which has now been converted into a theatre and arts venue. By contrast, the rose garden to the south, the pond in the south-east corner, and the glasshouse to the east have all been retained in their original positions, with the pond now additionally used for outdoor swimming.
Several changes reflect the park's shift toward public use. The woodland to the north and east has been partly reduced to make way for a cafe and a new car park, and the single formal entrance from the north has been supplemented by a new, wider entrance and car park to the east. Finally, the open lawn to the west, previously an empty space, now features a water fountain, completing the park's transformation from a private estate into a public visitor attraction.
Examiner Notes
Task Achievement: Covers all eight features accurately with a precise overview identifying the two connected themes: the house's change of use, and the park's broader shift from private estate to public visitor attraction.
Coherence & Cohesion: A clear overview precedes detail organised by theme, with cohesive devices ("by contrast", "finally") linking current and past states naturally.
Lexical Resource: Precise, varied language ("repurposed", "supplemented", "visitor attraction") used accurately throughout.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Wide range of accurate structures, including passive voice for describing changes, used with full control.
Band 8
194 wordsAccurate and clearly organised, just slightly plainer in tying the changes together.
The two maps show Grange Park as it was in 1920 and how it looks today.
Overall, while many original features of the park still exist in the same locations, the house has been converted for a completely different purpose, and new facilities have been added, including a car park built partly on former woodland.
The biggest change is to the house itself, which was originally a large private house called Arnold House but is now used as a theatre and arts venue. On the other hand, the rose garden to the south, the pond in the south-east corner, and the glasshouse to the east have all stayed in the same place, although the pond is now used for outdoor swimming.
Some other changes show that the park is now used more by the public. Part of the woodland to the north and east has been removed to make space for a cafe and a new car park, and a new, wider entrance has been added to the east in addition to the original entrance from the north. The open lawn to the west, which used to be empty, now has a water fountain.
Examiner Notes
Task Achievement: Covers all eight features accurately with a clear overview, though the connection between the changes is stated a little more simply than in the band 9 answer.
Coherence & Cohesion: Clearly organised with an overview followed by detail grouped by theme; cohesive devices are accurate throughout.
Lexical Resource: Good range of vocabulary for describing change, though "used more by the public" is plainer than the higher-band answer's more specific phrasing.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Accurate throughout, with a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures.
Band 7
158 wordsAll the features are reported correctly, but the overview stays general rather than tying the details together.
The maps give information about Grange Park in 1920 and how it looks now.
Overall, most of the main features of the park are still in the same place, but the house has changed use completely, and new things like a car park have been added.
The house, which used to be a private home called Arnold House, is now a theatre and arts venue, which is a big change. However, the rose garden, the pond, and the glasshouse are all still in the same places as before, although the pond is now used for outdoor swimming.
There are also some new additions to the park. Some of the woodland has been removed to make space for a cafe and a car park, and a new entrance has been added on the east side, as well as the old one from the north. The lawn on the west side, which used to be empty, now has a fountain.
Examiner Notes
Task Achievement: Reports all eight features accurately with a basic overview, but the overview does not explicitly connect the house's change of use to the park's broader shift toward public use.
Coherence & Cohesion: Clearly organised by feature, though figures and features are listed with fairly plain connecting language throughout.
Lexical Resource: Adequate range for the task; features are accurate but connecting language stays fairly plain throughout.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Generally accurate, mostly simple sentence structures; meaning is always clear.
Band 6.5
160 wordsAll the features are correct, but agreement and passive-voice errors appear in almost every sentence.
The map give information about Grange Park in 1920 and how it look now.
Overall, most of the main feature of the park is still in the same place, but the house has changed use completely, and new thing like car park have been add.
The house, which used to be private home called Arnold House, is now theatre and arts venue, which is big change. However, the rose garden, the pond, and the glasshouse is all still in the same place as before, although the pond is now use for outdoor swimming.
There is also some new addition to the park. Some of the woodland has been remove to make space for cafe and car park, and new entrance has been add on east side, as well as the old one from north. The lawn on west side, which used to be empty, now have fountain. These change together show park has move from private use to public enjoyment.
Examiner Notes
Task Achievement: Reports all eight features accurately, matching the content of the band 7 answer.
Coherence & Cohesion: Clearly organised by feature, following the same structure as the higher-band answers.
Lexical Resource: Limited by "feature" and "thing" being used without their plural forms throughout.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Frequent subject-verb agreement and passive-voice errors ("map give", "the pond... is all still", "has been remove", "has been add") appear in nearly every sentence.
Band 4-5 - What to Avoid
40 wordsThree of the eight features are missing entirely, and it closes with a personal opinion rather than a report.
This map show park before and after.
House is different now, it become theatre. They also add car park.
I think this park is more fun now for people, more thing to do, this is my opinion about this topic.
Examiner Notes
Task Achievement: The rose garden, pond, and glasshouse are never mentioned at all, several changes are merged together vaguely, and the closing comment is a personal opinion that has no place in a Task 1 report. At well under 150 words, the response is also underlength.
Coherence & Cohesion: Reads as three short, disconnected remarks rather than an organised comparison between the two maps.
Lexical Resource: Vague, repetitive vocabulary ("more fun", "more thing to do") used instead of the specific features named on the maps.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Frequent errors throughout ("map show", "House is different now").
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