Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-07
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)
These plan graphs below compares the structure of a farm in 1950 with its look in present.The farm has been pretty much modernized with time,evolution of old mud tracks with latest car roads and parking.
Old site of the farm is typical vintage farm look,with fruits and vegetables first on enterance with a bumpy track alongside,which went eventually to the barn and farmhouse.Now,the farm has been restructured a bit,with the construction of camping fields and holiday cottages for families,it looks like a holiday resort more than a vintage farm.Installation of solar panels,construction of parkings for vehicles,a farm shop,relocation of the barn serves a key difference in evolved outlook of the farm.However,rest of the aspects have stayed unchanged like the river stream flowing around the crops and farmhouse locating near the track.Its not faulty to say that overall site of the farm has stayed almost constant but some modificatons have been made which the present time demanded,
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's transformation, such as the addition of holiday cottages, camping fields, and solar panels. However, the overview is somewhat informal and lacks the precision required for an Academic Task 1 response. While the main changes are identified, the comparison between the two time periods could be more structured. The description of the 'vintage' look is subjective rather than analytical. To improve, ensure that you clearly highlight the most significant changes—such as the shift from agricultural focus to tourism—in a more formal, objective tone, and ensure all key features are described with greater clarity.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into two main paragraphs, which is a logical approach. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical, such as the abrupt transition in the second paragraph. The paragraphing is sufficient, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be improved by using a wider range of linking words to connect ideas more fluidly. The referencing is generally clear, but the overall progression of the argument feels slightly rushed and lacks the sophisticated signposting expected at higher band levels.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and academic register required for a higher score. Phrases like 'pretty much modernized' and 'Its not faulty to say' are too informal for an IELTS Academic report. While the student uses some relevant terms like 'restructured' and 'modifications', there is a reliance on simpler language. To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate more precise, topic-specific vocabulary related to map descriptions, such as 'converted', 'replaced', 'expanded', or 'remained unchanged', while avoiding colloquialisms and conversational fillers.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including missing articles ('on enterance', 'in present'), punctuation issues (missing spaces after commas), and subject-verb agreement errors ('plan graphs... compares'). While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, the student should focus on basic proofreading to correct article usage and punctuation, and attempt to use a wider variety of complex sentence structures with greater accuracy to demonstrate better control over grammar.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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