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 diagram below illustrates the changes in the beechwood farm in 1950 and after the renovation of the farm. Lot's of changes takes place there.
Overall, we can see that, mainly the new changes after redevelopment of farm is solar panels and camping fields which is replaced by sheep area.
In 1950, the fruit trees was just beside the road on the left side of the farm. The barn, farmhouse and chickens area were on the right side, just in touch with the following river. Whereas, there was a wider area for the sheep on the upper-right side of the farm.
Today, the farm undergoes many changes, sheep area is now replaced by solar panels and camping field. However, there is a parking space in that area.the track is now changed to road. Barn is now replace from lower- right side to are area of road and holiday cottages has been formed. There is a farm shop in the fruit trees area which is on the left side. The Soft fruits and vegetables remains on the same place as it was in 1950.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| 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 solar panels, holiday cottages, and the farm shop. However, the description is somewhat disorganized and lacks a clear, analytical overview. While you identify key changes, the report lacks precision in spatial descriptions (e.g., 'just in touch with the following river' is unclear). To improve, ensure you group information logically—perhaps by comparing the layout of the farm in 1950 versus today—rather than listing changes in a fragmented way. The overview should also be more comprehensive, summarizing the most significant transformations rather than just listing two items.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow between sentences is often mechanical. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes repetitive (e.g., 'In 1950', 'Today', 'However'). There are issues with referencing; for instance, 'that area' is ambiguous because the preceding sentence mentions two different locations. The progression of ideas is occasionally disjointed, making it difficult for the reader to follow the spatial changes clearly. Improving the use of linking phrases such as 'In contrast to,' 'Situated to the north,' or 'Following the redevelopment' would significantly enhance the logical flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. You rely on basic verbs like 'changed', 'replaced', and 'formed'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'sheep area' instead of 'pasture' or 'grazing land', and 'just in touch with' which is not standard English for describing geographical proximity. To reach a higher band, focus on using more specific terminology related to map descriptions, such as 'converted into', 'transformed', 'adjacent to', or 'situated in the vicinity of'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('Lot's of changes takes place', 'fruit trees was', 'sheep area is now replaced'), and punctuation errors (missing spaces after periods, such as 'field.However' and 'area.the'). The sentence structures are predominantly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. To improve, focus on mastering subject-verb agreement and ensuring consistent tense usage when describing past states versus current ones. Proofreading for basic punctuation and capitalization is also essential.
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.