Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-13

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 6.5)

The given plans illustrates how a farm site changed between 1950 and today.

Overall, the main changes are shown in what was the sheep field in the past. There are some noticeable changes also in the bottom part of the plan, especially in the right area under the track/road.

In 1950, the upper part was composed by an area fully dedicated to sheep. Then there was a track which divided the top part from the bottom one. On the left side, under the track, some trees and vegetables were cultivated, while the right the space was dedicated to a barn, a farmhouse and a chicken cage.

Today, the most significant change regards the introduction of a camping field and some solar panels in the north area, both with a parking space. The track was transformed into a proper road, and the barn was moved where it is possible to see a triangle shaped by the road. The chicken and farmhouse area stayed the same as it was in the past, while the old barn is nowadays a holiday cottage. Moreover, cultivated fields remained the same, hovever, a farm shop was added near the fruit trees.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the overall transformation from a sheep field to new visitor-related facilities, and you compare the 1950 and present-day layouts. Several key details are accurate: the road replaces the track, a farm shop is added near the fruit trees, and the former barn area becomes holiday accommodation. However, some descriptions are incomplete or inaccurate. The present-day parking is mentioned as a single space, although there are two parking areas, and the barn is not simply “moved”: the map shows it at the southern road junction, while the farmhouse and chicken enclosure remain in place. The claim that cultivated fields “remained the same” is too broad, as their locations and surrounding access are worth specifying. More precise comparisons and fuller coverage of the site’s changes would strengthen the overview.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear four-paragraph structure, moving from an introduction and overview to the earlier and current layouts. This gives the reader a logical progression, and time markers such as “In 1950” and “Today” help distinguish the two plans. Linking expressions including “Overall,” “Then,” and “Moreover” are generally effective. Some references, however, are imprecise: “the right area under the track/road” and “both with a parking space” make it harder to identify exactly which locations or facilities are meant. The comparison between the old barn and the holiday cottages is also compressed into “the old barn is nowadays a holiday cottage,” which could be explained more clearly. Use more specific location references and connect related changes directly to improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for describing maps, including “dedicated to,” “transformed,” “cultivated,” and “introduced,” and the main changes remain understandable. There are also attempts at more precise spatial language, such as “in the north area” and “near the fruit trees.” However, some choices are awkward or imprecise for this task: “chicken cage” does not accurately describe the labelled enclosure, “proper road” is informal, and “triangle shaped by the road” is an unclear way to describe the junction. “The upper part was composed by” is also an unnatural collocation. Aim for conventional map-description terms such as “enclosure,” “internal road,” and “triangular junction,” and use precise location phrases to distinguish the two parking areas and the changed buildings.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast in “while the right…” and the relative clause in “where it is possible to see…”. Most sentences communicate the intended comparison, but some grammatical errors remain. The opening has subject–verb disagreement: “The given plans illustrates” should be “The given plans illustrate.” In “the upper part was composed by,” the passive construction and preposition are not correctly formed; use “was made up of” or “consisted of.” The phrase “while the right the space was dedicated” is missing a preposition and needs clearer parallel structure. There are also tense and article issues in “the chicken and farmhouse area stayed the same as it was.” More consistent past-versus-present forms and careful checking of sentence patterns would improve accuracy.

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

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