Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 blueprints provided Beechwood Farm in 1950 and the altered version of same site in current. Mainly, the track were converted to road also the place which was allocated to sheep had modified to different aspects. The road and river remained constant.

In 1950, Beechwood Farm contained a road over a river. There were a fruit trees, soft fruits and vegetables consisted between a river and track as well as a Barn, chickens and a farmhouse presented. The huge place allocated to a sheep beside of track.

At present, Road and river were remained constant. The track was converted to road and the road contains like a Y- Junction at the bottom of it contained a Barn. At fruit trees, A farm shop was established. Soft fruits and vegetables remained constant without any changes. The Barn was replaced with Holiday cottages from previous. Farmhouse and chickens also remained same at position. The place allocated to sheep was altered with different aspects. The place was modified with two parking, A camping field and with some solar panels.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the maps, such as the conversion of the track to a road and the changes to the sheep area. However, the overview is weak; it lacks a clear summary of the most significant changes, such as the shift from agricultural use to tourism-related facilities. Some descriptions are vague, such as 'modified to different aspects,' which does not clearly explain the new features. While the main points are identified, the lack of a cohesive overview and the imprecise description of some changes prevent this from reaching a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from 1950 to the present. However, the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between sentences is often abrupt, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'the altered version of same site in current.' The logical flow is present, but the lack of sophisticated linking words and the repetitive sentence structures make the writing feel somewhat disjointed. Improving the use of transition signals would significantly enhance the readability.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There is frequent repetition of basic verbs like 'remained' and 'contained.' Some word choices are unnatural or inaccurate, such as 'the altered version of same site in current' and 'consisted between a river and track.' While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited to simple, functional terms. To improve, you should focus on using more descriptive verbs and nouns related to map analysis, such as 'transformed,' 'replaced,' or 'extended.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include incorrect article usage ('a fruit trees,' 'a Y-Junction'), subject-verb agreement ('the track were converted'), and awkward phrasing ('The Barn was replaced with Holiday cottages from previous'). While the meaning is usually understandable, the frequency of these errors indicates a lack of control over complex sentence forms. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for articles and pluralisation would be beneficial.

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.