Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-18

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 ideas illustrates the view of farm in 1950 and today's farm view.

Overall, in 1950 lot of area for sheep's but now it converted into camping field and solar panel.

At 1950, in farm there were a long river and the highway cross the river by bridge .Right side of the highways there was a fruit trees area, soft fruits and vegetables area. The all fields connect with track that connect to highway. Upper side of the track there were a large sheep area for sheep's. Moreover, the track connect both side with a triangular junction.Right side of the junction a barn, a farmhouse and chicken farm.

Todays, farm build many things and spots in farm. The area of the farm is same but new infrastructure are made Camping field and solar panels are installed in sheep area and also individual parking for them. Now track converted into road and one new way of road connected to barn. Furthermore, for fruits and vegetables a new farm shop is build and also holiday cottages are added in farm.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the maps, including the transition from agricultural use to tourism-focused infrastructure. However, the description is somewhat superficial. While you mention the addition of camping fields, solar panels, and holiday cottages, you could improve by providing more specific comparisons, such as noting that the fruit and vegetable area has been replaced or repurposed. The overview is present but lacks a clear summary of the most significant changes. To reach a higher band, ensure you highlight the most striking transformations rather than just listing features.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from 1950 to the present. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate, such as 'At 1950' (should be 'In 1950') and 'Todays, farm build' (should be 'Today, the farm has...'). Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when describing locations (e.g., 'the track connect both side'). Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the flow of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. You rely on basic terms like 'things', 'spots', and 'area'. There are also several word-choice errors, such as 'sheep's' (plural of sheep is sheep) and 'the all fields' (should be 'all the fields'). To improve, try to use more specific terminology related to map descriptions, such as 'converted into', 'replaced by', or 'situated in the northern part'. The spelling and word-form errors do not impede communication, but they limit the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the accuracy of the writing. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('the track connect', 'farm build'), missing articles ('in farm', 'by bridge'), and incorrect prepositions. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors prevent the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction, particularly verb tenses and pluralisation, will significantly improve the quality of your writing.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.