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 plans illustrate how the site of a farm look in 1950 and today.
Overall, farm shop and parking are new construct, while road is replaced by track pat. In addition, many buildings are new constructed in site today.
Their was a land for sheep in 1950, which was replaced by many buildings in today plan. Farm shop added nearby fruit trees. A barn was moved between vegetables and chicken in today plan. Farm house and chickens space was remained same in new plan. A land for sheep was replaced by several new buildings. Parking and camping field were added in sheep land. Also, some solar panels added nearby camping field.
A parking was constructed near the road. A barn was replaced by holiday cottages, which had three different buildings. Track converted to road. Barn joined with road. River and main road remained same in today plan, while a tree growing in today plan.
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 two maps, identifying key changes such as the addition of the farm shop, parking, and new buildings. However, the report lacks a clear overview of the most significant transformations, such as the shift from agricultural land to commercial/leisure use. Some details are repetitive, such as mentioning the sheep land twice, and the description of the barn's movement is slightly confusing. To improve, ensure you group information logically—for example, by focusing on infrastructure, agricultural areas, and new facilities—rather than listing changes in a fragmented way. The summary of the main trends needs to be more cohesive to better highlight the overall transformation of the site.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is limited and occasionally mechanical (e.g., 'In addition', 'Also'). Some sentences feel like a list of observations rather than a flowing analysis. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as 'their was a land for sheep', which makes it difficult for the reader to follow the spatial changes. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus, such as 'infrastructure changes' versus 'land use changes'.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive, relying on basic terms like 'new', 'buildings', and 'added'. There are several instances of incorrect word forms, such as 'new construct' instead of 'new construction' and 'newly constructed' (written as 'new constructed'). The phrasing 'chickens space' is also unnatural. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic meaning, it lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. To improve, try to incorporate more specific vocabulary related to map descriptions, such as 'converted', 'transformed', 'expanded', or 'demolished', and pay closer attention to word forms and collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are consistent issues with articles ('the' is often missing, e.g., 'in today plan'), subject-verb agreement ('farm shop and parking are new construct'), and verb tense usage ('how the site of a farm look'). The sentence structures are mostly simple, with few attempts at complex sentences. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents a higher score. Focusing on consistent tense usage (past for 1950, present for today) and correct article usage will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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