Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-06

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The plans below show the site of a farm in 1950 and the same site today.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.



 

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The plans compare the layout of beehwood farm in 1950 with how it appear now.

Overall, it is clear that new developments are seen in current plan, while few things are replaced or removed too.

In the first map, there was a road which is now replaced with track . On east side, there was a barn which is now connected with road also the size is decreased. Then on North west side, there is fruit trees, soft fruits , vegetables which remained on same place just on starting of raod , there is new addition of farm shop on left side and parking on right side of road.

On north west side, Camping field, solar panels and more parking is added into today's plan. However, on far end of road in east side of map holiday cottages addition is seen while farmhose and chickens postion remained same as in 1950.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the broad change from a working farm to a site with new visitor facilities, and you mention several relevant features, including the farm shop, parking, camping field, solar panels and holiday cottages. You also note that the farmhouse and chicken enclosure remain. However, some key details are inaccurate or unclear: the main road was not replaced by a track; the internal track became a road, while the main road remains. The barn’s location and size are also described imprecisely, and the fruit and vegetable plots are not on the north-west side. Your overview is relevant but general, and the comparison would be stronger if it clearly grouped what stayed, what changed, and what was added.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic, recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing changes. This helps the reader follow the comparison, and linking words such as “Overall,” “Then,” and “However” show an attempt to connect ideas. However, the progression within the detail paragraphs is not consistently clear. Directions shift between “east,” “north west,” and “far end” without a stable route through the maps, and several features are crowded into long sentences. The repeated use of “there was” also makes the account feel list-like. Organise the details by area or by unchanged versus new features, and use clearer references to the two plans.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant map vocabulary, including “layout,” “developments,” “addition,” “remained,” and “holiday cottages,” so the reader can understand the general changes. However, the range is limited and some choices are imprecise or awkward for describing plans. For example, “replaced with track” does not accurately express the road changes, while “connected with road” and “addition is seen” are unnatural collocations. Spelling errors such as “beehwood,” “raod,” “farmhose,” and “postion” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise location and change language, such as “was converted into,” “lies to the east of,” and “was added,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “while” and a clause beginning “which remained.” However, errors in verb forms, articles, agreement and sentence construction are noticeable. For example, “how it appear now” should be “how it appears now,” and “new developments are seen in current plan” needs an article and a more natural structure. The sentence beginning “On east side” also combines several changes without clear grammatical links, while “farmhouse and chickens position remained” has agreement and sentence-structure problems. Use shorter, complete sentences for each comparison, and check tense consistency when describing the 1950 plan and the present-day plan.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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