Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The maps compares the the site of beechwood farm in 1950 and the farm site today.

Overall it is clear that in the 1950, the beechwood farm was not that much developed as like today.

Today this farm consists of many things that were not present many years back in 1950.

In the year 1950, fruit trees, soft fruits, vegetables, these were the things available in beechwood farm.

Along with this there was a river flowing, there was a farm house and a barn. Chickens were also present there. There was a long track connecting everything.

If we look at the beechwood farm of today, we can a huge development. Now there are solar panels installed. There is a separate parking and also a camping field for people. To the right corner of farm, there are also holiday cottages. Now there are also long roads that were once a long track in the back 1950. Farm shops are also available in todays beechwood farm.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the maps, noting the transition from a simple farm to a more commercialized site. However, the overview is quite weak and lacks a clear, analytical summary of the most significant changes. While you mention that the farm was 'not that much developed', this is a vague observation. To improve, you should explicitly highlight the shift from agricultural production to tourism and leisure. Additionally, some details are listed rather than compared; for instance, you mention the presence of fruit trees in 1950 but do not explicitly state that these were removed or replaced by the current facilities, which is a key comparative feature.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the past to the present. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and repetitive. You rely heavily on simple sentence starters like 'In the year 1950' and 'If we look at the beechwood farm of today'. The flow between sentences is somewhat mechanical, and there is a lack of sophisticated linking words or referencing (e.g., using 'the former' or 'the latter' to contrast the two time periods). Improving the variety of transitions would significantly enhance the logical flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. You use repetitive phrasing such as 'there was' and 'there are' throughout the response. While you successfully identify specific features like 'solar panels' and 'holiday cottages', the range of vocabulary is limited. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise verbs and descriptive adjectives to describe the changes, such as 'transformed', 'replaced', 'expanded', or 'converted'. Avoid informal phrasing like 'not that much developed' and 'many things', as these lack the precision required for an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains several grammatical errors that affect the fluency of the text. There are issues with article usage ('the the site'), subject-verb agreement, and awkward phrasing ('in the back 1950'). The sentence structures are predominantly simple, with very few attempts at complex sentences. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequent minor errors and the lack of structural variety prevent the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence combining and ensuring correct prepositional usage would be beneficial for your future writing tasks.

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