Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-25
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 map illustrates the changes to the Beechwood Farm site from 1950 to the present day.
Overall, several new facilities were added, including the farm shop, parking, solar panels, holiday cottages, and a camping field. However, some facilities remain unchanged, namely fruit trees, soft fruits, vegetables, and the farmhouse.
In 1950, there were few facilities, while today many new places have been added to the northern part of the farm. A new farm shop is located near the fruit trees. Moreover, the parking area has also been built near the road. A camping field and solar panels have also been introduced on the farm.
At present, many new places are being built mainly in the eastern area of the farm, for instance, a holiday cottage and a second parking area, which is connected to another road near the holiday cottage. In addition, the position of the Barn shop also changed, connected to two roads
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the maps, identifying key changes such as the addition of the farm shop, solar panels, and holiday cottages. However, the description of the locations is somewhat imprecise. For example, stating that the farm shop is 'near the fruit trees' is vague, and the claim that the 'Barn shop' position changed is confusing as the original map does not feature a barn shop. The overview is clear, but the report lacks a more detailed comparison of the spatial layout between 1950 and today, which is essential for a higher band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'In addition', and 'for instance' are used to link ideas. However, the progression of information is occasionally mechanical. The reference to the 'Barn shop' in the final paragraph is confusing because it was not previously mentioned, which disrupts the flow of information. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the general overview from the specific details of the site changes.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'facilities', 'introduced', and 'connected'. However, the range is somewhat limited and repetitive, relying on simple descriptors like 'new places' and 'added'. There are minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as referring to the 'Barn shop' when the map shows a 'Farm shop'. To improve, you should incorporate more precise geographical vocabulary to describe the layout, such as 'situated in the north-east quadrant' or 'adjacent to'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'many new places are being built' (the map shows the current state, so present perfect or simple present would be more accurate) and 'the position of the Barn shop also changed' (which lacks a clear subject-verb agreement or tense consistency). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a wider variety of complex structures to achieve a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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