Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-27
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 plan shows the site of a farm in 1950 and the same site today.
Significant changes can be observed as new facilities are introduced. We can actually observe the modernization of the site. The barn size is reduced whereas the sheep area is utilized for solar panels and camping field. With the development of road on the track, parking spaces for the vehicles are also allocated.
As we can see that the barn is relocated at another place. Its previous area is built into holiday cottages. Both are directly connected to the road. There is a new farm shop in the fruit trees area. Sheep area is split into two halves. One half is transformed into a camping field and the other half is used for solar panels. Both are provided with the parking. A new road runs between the site of the farm connecting all the areas with one another.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| 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 farm site transformation, such as the addition of solar panels, holiday cottages, and the new road. However, the overview is somewhat weak; it lacks a clear summary of the most significant trends, such as the shift from agricultural production to tourism and renewable energy. While the response identifies changes, it misses some specific details, such as the removal of the original farmhouse or the specific expansion of the road network. To reach a higher band, ensure the overview highlights the 'big picture' changes rather than just listing individual facility shifts.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into two paragraphs, which is a logical approach for a comparison task. However, the progression of ideas is slightly mechanical. The use of cohesive devices is limited, relying heavily on simple transitions like 'As we can see' or 'Both are'. The paragraphing is functional, but the internal flow between sentences could be improved by using more varied linking words to show contrast (e.g., 'whereas', 'in contrast') or addition more effectively. The referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure feels a bit disjointed.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher bands. Phrases like 'barn size is reduced' and 'built into holiday cottages' are functional but basic. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary such as 'modernization', 'relocated', and 'transformed', which is positive. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a lack of more sophisticated collocations or descriptive language that would better convey the scale and nature of the changes observed in the diagrams.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies. For example, 'With the development of road on the track' is awkward, and 'the barn is relocated at another place' should be 'to another location'. There are also minor issues with articles and prepositions throughout the text. While these errors do not impede communication, they demonstrate a lack of control over more complex grammatical structures, which limits the score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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