Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The following plan illustrates the site of beechwood farm around in the year 1950 and the same site present day .

overall, The site plan of beechwood farm in past was simple comparing with the present site plan, meanwhile there are some changes in the present plan by updating the site with new amenities.

In the year 1950, the site plan containing only few things like fruit trees, soft fruits, vegetables, farmhouse, sheep and all of this are connected by track. Farm has a road connectivity and also a river is passing from beside of the farm.

The present site plan of the farm is completely transformed by adding new amenities like holiday cottages, farm shop and the barn is replaced at the beside of chickens and the place of the sheep they added camping field, solar panels and parking, however the track is replaced by road. whereas all other are same as in the past site plan.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the two plans and makes relevant comparisons between 1950 and the present day. However, the description is somewhat superficial. While you mention the addition of amenities like holiday cottages and solar panels, the spatial relationship between these features and the original layout could be described with more precision. The overview is present but could be more analytical regarding the scale of the transformation. To reach a higher band, ensure that all key changes are clearly highlighted and that the comparison between the two time periods is more detailed and structured.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the past to the present. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally awkward, such as the use of 'meanwhile' and 'whereas' in contexts where they do not logically connect the ideas. The flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed, making the text feel like a list of observations rather than a cohesive report. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used in the correct context would significantly enhance the logical flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to describe the changes to the farm. You use some relevant terms like 'amenities', 'transformed', and 'connectivity'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and awkward phrasing, such as 'passing from beside of the farm' and 'the barn is replaced at the beside of chickens'. These errors occasionally make the text sound unnatural. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and descriptive language to convey the spatial changes more accurately without relying on repetitive structures.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the site plan of beechwood farm'), prepositions ('at the beside of'), and verb tense consistency. For example, 'the site plan containing only few things' should be 'contained only a few things'. These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points. To achieve a higher score, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles, and try to incorporate more varied, error-free complex sentences.

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

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