Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-29

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 information provided in the given maps compares the Beechwood Farm view before 75-years in 1950 and the same site today.

Overall, the Beechwood Farm had a significant changes in the current sit. Meanwhile, the old one is simple, but have many places for different purposes.

In 1950, the Beechwood Farm have a significant amount of area in the top right which was consumed by Sheep. The farm has a track which was primarily used to reach goods of every portion of the farm. Moreover, the farm is surrounded by a river, and between the river and the rack three different rectangular blacks are seen, the first was for the Fruit trees, the second was for the Soft fruits, and the last one is a vegetables garden. Similarly, in the same area, near to bottom right a Barn, Farmhouse, and Chickens venue is placed.

The current Beechwood Farm have a considerable advancement in the sheep area, which this area is divided into two parts, one for camping field, and another for solar panels, which each possess a parking slate. Consequently another major advancement is removal of small track and the addition of big road. Moving further, a Barn have shipped near to the chickens venue, and instead of it a new Holiday cottages has been added. Nevertheless, inside the Fruit trees and near to the entrance a new Farm shop has been added. While the rest of things remain stable, like fruit trees, soft fruits, vegetables, chickens, and farmhouse.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the maps, including the significant changes such as the conversion of the sheep area into a campsite and solar panel field, and the addition of holiday cottages. However, the overview is somewhat weak and lacks a clear summary of the most significant trends. While the response identifies key changes, some descriptions are slightly inaccurate or confusing, such as the mention of a 'parking slate' or the claim that the barn 'shipped' (likely meaning shifted). The response addresses the task requirements adequately, but the lack of precise reporting on the spatial layout and the minor inaccuracies in describing the changes prevent it from reaching a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the 1950 and current layouts. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In 1950', 'Similarly', 'Consequently', and 'Nevertheless'. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'Moving further, a Barn have shipped'. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the referencing is occasionally imprecise, which makes the flow feel a bit disjointed at times. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two time periods, which helps the reader follow the comparison.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the features of the farm. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'advancement', 'consumed', and 'rectangular', but there are also instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'parking slate' (likely meaning parking space/area) and 'shipped' (meaning moved/relocated). Some phrasing is repetitive, and the word choice is occasionally imprecise, which limits the ability to convey information with high precision. While the meaning is generally clear, the lexical range is somewhat restricted and contains errors that occasionally draw attention.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'Beechwood Farm have', 'a Barn have shipped') and verb tense consistency (e.g., 'the old one is simple', 'the farm have a significant amount'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are errors in sentence construction that occasionally impede the flow. While the student attempts complex sentences, the control over these structures is inconsistent, leading to frequent minor errors that do not necessarily prevent understanding but are noticeable.

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

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