Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-13

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 diagram illustrates the key differences on the site of the ranch between 1950 and current day.

Overall, there are significant number of changes that has been made on the site of farm during this long period. Firstly, on right side of north east corner they made immense parking, also install plethora of solar panels.

In 1950's picture, the north east corner is dedicated to sheep only. Moreover, in south east corner they have Barn, Farmhouse, and chickens place. Furthermore, they have place for fruit trees, soft fruits , vegetables along side the road.

However, in today's farm they have dedicated space for parking in north east corner with immense camping filed and also the significant number of solar panels also install with separate parking area. Also, made Holiday cottages beside the farmhouse and barn area.

In conclusion, there are numerous changes made in today's farm as compared to 1950's farm. Today's farm is more attracted.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the transformation, such as the addition of parking, solar panels, and holiday cottages. However, the description is somewhat superficial. It lacks precise comparisons between the two time periods, such as noting that the sheep area was replaced or that the orchard/vegetable garden was removed. The overview is present but lacks detail, and some information is slightly inaccurate or vague, such as referring to the 'ranch' (the prompt specifies a 'farm'). To improve, you should focus on clearly contrasting the 'before' and 'after' states with more specific spatial references and data points.

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 repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', and 'Also' at the start of sentences. The logical progression is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing, such as 'In 1950's picture' and 'In today's farm'. While the paragraphing is functional, the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and better referencing to avoid repetitive sentence structures.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. Phrases like 'chickens place' and 'immense camping filed' (likely meaning 'field') are imprecise or contain errors. There is an attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'solar panels' and 'holiday cottages', but the range is limited. To achieve a higher score, you should focus on using more sophisticated collocations and ensuring accurate word choice, such as using 'converted into' or 'replaced by' to describe the changes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'there are significant number of changes that has been made' (subject-verb agreement), 'on right side of north east corner' (missing articles), and 'solar panels also install' (incorrect verb form). These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader, though they do not completely impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, consistent use of articles, and correct verb tense usage when describing past versus present states.

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

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