Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-03
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 illustration shows the site of farm in 1950, and how it looks like today. Overall, numerous developments have been taken place, majorly triangular track is replaced with a road, while the one side of farm site is still cover by the river.
In past, large area of beechwood farm was occupied with sheeps, now it has been improved in several ways. For instance, solar panels have been installed, and two parking areas have been constructed on both sides of the road. In addition, camping field in made in front of triangular road, and holiday cottages are build in place of barn, that is moved to upper edge of the road. However, a few features are still unchanged, such as fields of fruit trees, soft fruits, and vegetable as well as place of farm house and area allocated for chickens.
In conclusion, substantial changes are made in beechwood farm compared to 1950. However, a few places are still same.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the farm site in 1950 and today. You successfully identified key changes, such as the installation of solar panels and the addition of holiday cottages, while noting features that remained unchanged. However, the report lacks a clear overview of the most significant trends. While you mention 'numerous developments,' a more detailed summary of the overall transformation—such as the shift from a purely agricultural site to one incorporating tourism—would strengthen the response. Additionally, some descriptions are slightly vague, such as 'triangular track,' which could be more precisely described as a 'triangular road network.'
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized into an introduction, a body paragraph detailing changes, and a conclusion. You use basic cohesive devices like 'In addition,' 'However,' and 'In conclusion' to link ideas. While the progression is generally clear, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between the description of the sheep area and the new solar panels could be smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the overall structure could benefit from more sophisticated linking words to improve the flow of information between the past and present states.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'occupied,' 'installed,' and 'allocated.' However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and minor errors, such as 'majorly' (should be 'mainly' or 'primarily') and 'still cover by' (should be 'still covered by'). The phrase 'triangular track is replaced with a road' is slightly imprecise. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, but lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'developments have been taken place' (should be 'have taken place'), 'sheeps' (the plural of sheep is 'sheep'), 'camping field in made' (should be 'has been made'), and 'holiday cottages are build' (should be 'have been built'). These errors are frequent but do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice, which is essential for describing changes in maps.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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