Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-11
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 diagrams demonstrate the site of beechwood farm in 1950 and the same site in today
Overall, in year 1950 the beechwood farm represents the fruit trees, river, sheep , farmhouse and many more .However, in today this farm developed more it contains parking area, camping field, solar panels . The same thing in both time is soft fruits area and vegetables area, chicken is also similar.
In 1950 , a highway was crossing the river. There was a track which took a triangular shape .There was fruit trees and soft fruits in between the track and river. Vegetables was also nearby the soft fruits. The river bend there was a chicken , farmhouse and a barn. Another side of the track there was a sheep.
In today, there is so many changes the river is at there place as similar to in 1950. The track changed in road and the barn was located on the one side of triangular. The fruits trees , soft fruits and the vegetables was on the same place as 1950 but in fruit trees area the farm shop also take place. The farm house and chicken in at a same place as earlier. In the place of barn the holiday cottage take place. There is 2 parking area on the next side of the road. A camping field is also there. The solar panels also located next to the parking
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the maps, identifying key changes such as the addition of the parking area, camping field, and solar panels. However, the overview is weak; it lists items rather than synthesising the significant trends, such as the transition from a purely agricultural site to one incorporating tourism and renewable energy. Some details are slightly inaccurate or confusingly described, such as the claim that the barn was replaced by a holiday cottage while also stating the barn is located on the side of the triangle. The response addresses the task requirements but lacks the analytical depth required for a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate, such as the repetitive use of 'in today' and 'at a same place'. The logical progression is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing, such as 'The same thing in both time is soft fruits area'. While the paragraphing is functional, the internal flow within paragraphs is disjointed, and the referencing is sometimes unclear, making the overall argument feel somewhat fragmented.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. The student relies on basic descriptors like 'many more', 'developed more', and 'same place'. There are frequent errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'in today' instead of 'today' or 'currently', and 'take place' used incorrectly to describe the location of buildings. The range of vocabulary is just sufficient to convey the basic information, but it lacks the precision and variety expected for describing geographical changes, such as 'converted into', 'replaced by', or 'remained unchanged'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but these are frequently marred by grammatical errors. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('Vegetables was', 'solar panels also located'), incorrect prepositions ('at there place'), and missing articles. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with spaces before commas and periods. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction prevents the response from reaching a higher band. The control of tense is also inconsistent when comparing the two time periods.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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