Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-22

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 two maps compare the layout of Beechwood Farm in 1950 with its present-day appearance.

Overall, the Beechwood Farm has undergone considerable redevelopment. While the fruit trees, soft fruits, vegetables and farmhouse have remained in the same locations, several facilities have been added or modernised, and some areas have been converted for commercial and tourism purposes.

In 1950, the track of the beechwood farm contained a Fruits trees, soft fruits, vegetables, barn, sheep area and chickens.

Today, a number of significant changes can be seen. The barn area has been relocated further left side of the Farmhouse and chickens area. New solar panels, parking, camping field, Farm shop have been built. An additional track change into a road. Moreover block of Holiday cottages has also been constructed.

Meanwhile, the Fruit trees, soft fruits and vegetables remain largely unchanged, as does the farmhouse and chicken area. The most notable redevelopment on the top right corner of the map is the transformation. Overall, the beechwood farm has become more modern and visitor-friendly.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the maps, including the additions and the areas that remained unchanged. However, the description of the changes is somewhat fragmented. For instance, the mention of the 'barn area' being relocated is unclear, and the 'transformation' on the top right is mentioned without specifying what that transformation actually entails (e.g., the removal of the sheep area and the addition of holiday cottages). To reach a higher band, you should ensure that all key changes are clearly identified and described with precision, rather than using vague terms like 'transformation'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices like 'Meanwhile' and 'Moreover', which help the flow. However, some transitions are mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'The barn area has been relocated further left side of the Farmhouse and chickens area.' The paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal structure of the body paragraphs could be improved by grouping related changes more effectively to create a smoother progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'redevelopment', 'modernised', and 'visitor-friendly'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'track of the beechwood farm' and 'additional track change into a road'. These errors do not impede communication, but they limit the precision of your writing. To improve, focus on using more accurate terminology for map descriptions, such as 'pathway' instead of 'track' and 'converted into' instead of 'change into'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('a Fruits trees', 'the Farmhouse') and prepositions ('further left side of'). Additionally, there are issues with subject-verb agreement and capitalization, such as 'block of Holiday cottages has also been constructed'. While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points. Increasing your control over articles and prepositions will help improve your score in this criterion.

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

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