Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-14

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)

In the reference images of 1950 and current Beechwood farm there is a massive development shown throughout the year.

In 1950 where sheep were kept has now become a very important source of energy because solar panels are placed at the spot as well as there was no place to park cars so there are now two parking spots which can clearly show a drastic development in the farm. The track which was not build in 1950s has now been converted to a proper fully functional road which has a farm shop and parkings as well. A barn has been build at the round about and camping field has been placed for visitors to properly stay at the farm.

However, fruit trees , soft fruits vegetable fields are same as when they was in 1950s and there has been no dramatic change in those fields. The Farmhouse and chickens are also been kept in the same place since 1950s.

Overall , there is substantially high develpment since 1950s.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several major changes, including the addition of solar panels, two parking areas, a farm shop and a camping field, and you note that the farmhouse and chicken enclosure remain in place. However, some comparisons are inaccurate or too broad. The track already existed in 1950, so saying it “was not build” and was converted into a road misrepresents the map; it has been upgraded and extended. The barn is not at a roundabout, and the sheep area is not simply replaced by solar panels: the present site also includes camping and parking in that northern area. Your overview that the farm has developed substantially is relevant, but the account would be stronger with more precise locations and a clearer summary of the main changes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall structure: it introduces the comparison, describes changes, notes features that remain, and ends with a summary. This gives the reader a general sense of the development. However, the progression is not always clear because several changes are crowded into long sentences, such as the sentence beginning “In 1950 where sheep were kept.” The contrast introduced by “However” is useful, but the final “Overall” sentence largely repeats the opening claim rather than synthesising the key changes. Organise the details into clearer groups—for example, changes to access and visitor facilities, followed by unchanged agricultural areas and buildings—and use more precise referencing to make relationships between locations easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing a farm plan, including “solar panels,” “farm shop,” “camping field,” and “fields,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several choices are informal, imprecise, or incorrectly formed. “Massive development” and “drastic development” are broad evaluations rather than precise descriptions of land-use change, while “parkings” is not the appropriate plural form. There are also spelling errors such as “develpment,” and “build” is used where the past participle is needed. Aim for accurate map vocabulary and collocations, such as “the track was upgraded to a road,” “a parking area was added,” and “the site was redeveloped for tourism and energy production.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “However” and a clause beginning “where sheep were kept.” However, control is uneven, and errors occur in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction. For example, “the track which was not build” needs a past participle, while “when they was in 1950s” has an agreement error and an incomplete time expression. The sentence beginning “In 1950 where sheep were kept” is difficult to follow because its opening clause is not connected clearly to the main idea. Punctuation spacing is also inconsistent. Practise building accurate comparison sentences with clear subjects and verbs, and check past-tense forms and singular/plural agreement before finishing.

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