Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-10

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 given maps illustrate the site of Beechwood farm in 1950 and 2026.

Overall, in 1950, Beechwood Farm was located at the river site. It contain few fruit and vegetable shops. One side for sheep. However, now a days, it Is change to some camping field, solar panels and holiday cottages.

In 1950, the Beechwood Farm had a track in the center middle of the track was triangular shaped. There are some fruit trees, soft fruits, vegetables, chickens, Farmhouse and burn. Morever, on the other site of the track was a sheep farm.

Now a days, the Farm is completely changed, there is a farm shop on the right side of the fruit trees, there are also some soft fruits, vegetables shops. On the right side of barn there is farmhouse, holiday cottages and chicken. Furthermore, on the other side of the road there is small parking area next to that is a camping field. In addition to this, Beechwood Farm contain a solar panels.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the maps, such as the transition from agricultural use to tourism-focused facilities. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, analytical overview. While you mention the changes, the comparison between 1950 and 2026 could be more integrated. For instance, noting that the sheep farming area was replaced by a camping field and parking provides a better synthesis of the data. Some details, such as the 'triangular shaped' track, are mentioned, but the overall spatial relationship between the old and new features is occasionally confusing, which limits the clarity of the report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from 1950 to the present day. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and occasionally mechanical (e.g., 'In addition to this', 'Furthermore'). The referencing is sometimes unclear; for example, 'on the other site of the track' is used, but the spatial orientation is not always easy to follow. Paragraphing is present, but the internal flow within paragraphs could be improved by using more varied linking words to connect the changes more logically.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. You rely on basic terms like 'shops' and 'changed'. There are also some noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'burn' (likely meant 'barn') and 'it Is change to some camping field'. The use of 'site' is repetitive. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more specific terminology related to map descriptions, such as 'converted into', 'replaced by', 'extended', or 'demolished', and ensure accurate spelling of key terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow, such as subject-verb agreement ('Beechwood Farm contain a solar panels') and tense usage ('it Is change'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with capitalization and comma usage. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would significantly improve your score.

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

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