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)
These map illustrate that how the beechwood farm in 1950 and how these same farm looks today.
Overall, There are many different changes in this farm from 1950 to today. some new area are developed such as camping field, solar panels, parking and the track improved into road. Soft fruits, vegetables farmhouse remaining unchanged.
In today's farm, farm shop added in fruit trees area. Soft fruits and vegetables area has unchanged. They create new road instead of removing track, and they relocate the burn area in today's site. Chickens and farmhouse are has not any development in them area. Holiday cottages is new developed in today's farm to relocating the burn area.
The sheep area totally removed from today's site. And create different type of area. In corner of the farm install solar panels and allote parking area. In further area of the farm develop camping field and parking near the highway.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| 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 the camping field, solar panels, and the conversion of the track into a road. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you identify changes, the description lacks precision in spatial referencing (e.g., 'In further area of the farm'). The summary of what remained unchanged is accurate, but the overall development of ideas is limited. To reach a higher band, you should focus on grouping information more logically—perhaps by categorizing changes into 'additions' and 'removals'—and providing clearer comparisons between the 1950 layout and the current site.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes inaccurate. For example, 'In today's farm' is repeated, and transitions between sentences are often abrupt. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'in them area' or 'to relocating the burn area', which makes the flow of information feel disjointed. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words like 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in contrast' to connect your ideas more fluidly and improve the logical progression of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. You rely on simple verbs like 'create', 'add', and 'develop' throughout the text. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'track improved into road' and 'burn area' (likely referring to a 'barn'). While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of precise terminology for describing map changes (e.g., 'converted', 'replaced', 'extended', 'demolished') limits the score. Expanding your range of descriptive verbs and nouns related to land use would significantly enhance your performance.
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. Examples include 'These map illustrate that how', 'farmhouse are has not any development', and 'Holiday cottages is new developed'. Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent throughout the text. While the meaning is usually understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct tense usage for describing past and present states is essential for improvement.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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