Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-15
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 plans below illustrate the old structure of a farm in 1950 and new design of a farm today.
Overall, in old site of a farm had some major things but today farm have new things. In addition, of new farm have camping field, solar panels, holiday cottages and parking.
First of all, we report the examiner that the old farm was near the main road. In 1950 fruit trees, soft trees and vegetables were included in this farm. Moreover, the sheeps were presented in upper area of farm. Farmhouse, chickens, barn presented in the farm. River was passed near the farm.
On the other hand, the new farm is consists of many use full things. Firstly, solar panels are present in the farm, that are use to generate electricity. Parking area is present near the main road and near solar panels. In addition, of farm shop is build near the main road. Furthermore, sheep area was removed and converted into camping field. People use this site. Fruit trees, soft fruits, vegetables, barn and river are present similar to the farm of 1950.
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, such as the addition of the camping site, solar panels, and the farm shop. However, the overview is weak and lacks a clear summary of the most significant changes. The description of the 1950 layout is somewhat simplistic, and the comparison between the two periods is not fully developed. While the main features are identified, the response lacks the analytical depth required for a higher band, as it reads more like a list of items rather than a cohesive report of spatial changes over time.
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 'First of all, we report the examiner' and 'In addition, of new farm'. The logical progression between sentences is sometimes disjointed, particularly in the overview paragraph, which fails to provide a smooth transition into the body paragraphs. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow of information could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect the changes more naturally.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'major things', 'new things', and 'use full things' lack precision and academic tone. There are also errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'soft trees' (likely referring to soft fruit) and 'sheeps' (an incorrect plural). While the student successfully identifies specific features like 'solar panels' and 'holiday cottages', the range of vocabulary is limited, preventing the response from achieving a higher score. More precise terminology related to map description is needed.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but grammatical errors are frequent and occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include incorrect verb forms ('is consists of', 'is build'), missing articles ('in old site of a farm'), and incorrect pluralisation ('the sheeps'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure is often repetitive. While the meaning is usually understandable, the high frequency of basic grammatical errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct article usage would significantly improve the quality of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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