Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-24

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 6.5)

The maps show the site of Benchwood Farm in 1950 and the same site at the present day.

Overall, Benchwood Farm saw a leap in urbanization. Tracks have been converted into roads and many other modern infrastructures has been built over the years. In contrast, plantation of fruits and vegetables has remained the same.

The area where sheep used to be reared has undergone an infrastructural development. It has been divided into two sections. In one of the sections, solar panels have been installed, and the other section has been developed into a camping field. Both the sections have parking in them. The barn has been converted into holiday cottages and a small shop has been built in the area where fruit trees are grown.

On the other hand, the plantation of vegetables, soft fruits, and fruit trees remained intact. The farmhouse and chicken farm has been in the same condition as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main features of the maps well, identifying the key changes such as the conversion of the sheep area into solar panels and a camping field, and the transformation of the barn. The overview is clear and highlights the main trend of modernization. However, the description of the plantation area is slightly inaccurate; the maps show that the fruit trees and vegetable plots have been reduced or modified to accommodate the new shop and parking, rather than remaining entirely 'intact'. A more precise comparison of the spatial changes would have improved the score. Overall, the response is well-focused and addresses the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on different areas of the farm. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'On the other hand', and 'In one of the sections' are used effectively to guide the reader through the comparisons. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the development of the sheep area from the status of the plantations. The progression of ideas is smooth, and the information is presented in a way that is easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally appropriate for the task, using terms like 'urbanization', 'infrastructural development', and 'converted'. There is a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the changes clearly. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'plantation of fruits and vegetables', where 'orchards' or 'cultivated areas' might be more natural. Additionally, 'modern infrastructures' is slightly awkward as 'infrastructure' is typically an uncountable noun. Despite these minor issues, the range is adequate to describe the visual information with precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('modern infrastructures has been built' should be 'have been built' and 'farmhouse and chicken farm has been' should be 'have been'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. The use of passive voice is appropriate for describing changes in a map task. To reach a higher band, the student should ensure consistent subject-verb agreement and aim for a slightly wider variety of complex sentence structures.

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

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