Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-12

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)

Both diagrams are Beechwood Farm. While the first depicts a farm from 1950 which is quite a long time ago, the latter is a pictorial representation of the current advancement or development of the same farm. With respect to the first diagram, there are a few compartments of the piece of land to accommodate fruit trees, soft fruits and vegetables. It is also important to note that the larger compartment has both a barn, a farmhouse and chickens in it while the largest is mostly occupied by sheep. Around this 1950 farm is a river. There is also a track lane.

This particular farm has undergone significant and massive changes within the space of almost 77 Years. The view is quite captivating and it is evident that there's use of technology through the installation of solar panels. These panel obviously supply power to the farm. While the fruit trees, soft fruits and vegetables maintained their spots, the larger part of the farm now has a holiday cottages alongside the existing structures. Moreover, the largest portion, at present, is divided into two sub-sections. The first has a parking space and a campaign field while the other has the mentioned solar panels and a parking slot too.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main features of both maps well, identifying key changes such as the addition of holiday cottages, solar panels, and the repurposing of the sheep area. However, the overview is somewhat weak; it describes the farm's history rather than summarizing the most significant trends, such as the shift from agricultural production to tourism and renewable energy. While the comparison between 1950 and the present is clear, the description of the layout could be more precise. For instance, mentioning the specific location of the river or the track lane in relation to the new structures would have provided a more comprehensive summary of the spatial changes.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized into two distinct paragraphs, one for the 1950 layout and one for the present day. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'With respect to', 'Moreover', and 'While', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be smoother. For example, the phrase 'the latter is a pictorial representation' is a bit wordy for an introduction. The progression of ideas is clear, but the connection between the two paragraphs could be strengthened by a more explicit summary statement that links the past and present states of the farm.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with some good descriptive choices like 'pictorial representation', 'undergone significant... changes', and 'existing structures'. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'campaign field' (likely meant 'camping field') and 'These panel obviously supply', where the pluralization is incorrect. While the range is sufficient to convey the main points, it lacks the sophistication or precision in technical mapping terminology (e.g., 'situated in the northern quadrant', 'replaced by', 'converted into') that would elevate the score to a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'a holiday cottages' (article/plural mismatch) and 'These panel' (subject-verb agreement). Additionally, the phrase 'the largest is mostly occupied by sheep' is slightly awkward. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. The use of complex structures is present, but the control over them is not entirely consistent. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage would significantly improve the accuracy of the writing.

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

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