Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-08

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 plans illustrate the changes that have taken place at Beechwood Farm between 1950 and the present day.

Overall, the farm has undergone significant changes. Several agricultural areas have been replaced or developed, while new facilities and roads have been added. However, some features, such as the river, have remained largely unchanged.

In 1950, the farm consisted mainly of agricultural land. A large sheep area occupied the northern part of the site. In the western section, there were areas for fruit trees, soft fruits and vegetables. A river ran along the western and southern boundaries. There was also a road in the north, while several tracks connected the fields to the barn and farmhouse in the eastern part. An area for chickens was located near the farmhouse.

Today, the farm has been considerably redeveloped. The original agricultural fields have been changed, and the transport network has been improved. The buildings and facilities have also been reorganised to make better use of the available land.

Overall, Beechwood Farm has changed from a mainly agricultural area in 1950 into a more developed and organised site today.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response provides a clear overview of the changes at Beechwood Farm. You successfully identify the main features, such as the shift from agricultural land to a more developed site. However, the description of the current site is quite vague. While you mention that agricultural fields have been changed and the transport network improved, you fail to specify what these changes actually are (e.g., the addition of a new road, the conversion of the sheep area into a car park, or the addition of a shop and café). To achieve a higher band, you must provide more specific details from the visual data rather than generalising about the redevelopment.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use paragraphing effectively to separate the 1950s description from the current state. Cohesive devices such as 'In 1950', 'Today', and 'However' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the timeline. The progression of ideas is smooth, and the relationship between the two time periods is clearly established. The structure is coherent, and the information is presented in a way that is easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'redeveloped', 'agricultural', and 'transport network' correctly. The language is generally precise and fits the context of describing maps. However, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive, and there is a lack of more sophisticated or 'less common' lexical items that would elevate the response. To improve, try to incorporate more varied descriptive language regarding spatial changes, such as 'transformed', 'converted', or 'expanded', to avoid relying on simpler verbs like 'changed' or 'added'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response shows a good control of grammar with a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free, and your use of punctuation is accurate. You successfully use passive voice constructions (e.g., 'has been considerably redeveloped'), which is appropriate for describing changes in a formal report. While the range of structures is sufficient, it is not particularly ambitious. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more varied complex sentence patterns or relative clauses to describe the spatial relationships between the features on the map.

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

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