Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-30

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 diagrams below display a farm site in 1950 and the same site in present day.

In the present day, the farm site has been commercialized and reconstructed with new additions to the farm site. In 1950, the point at where sheep grazed has been divided into numerous parts and has been developed into a a camping field, a parking space, and there is an addition of solar panels near the east side of the parking space.

The track has been turned into a road that is connected to the barn and the barn has was demolished near the farmhouse to be shifted from the far east side to the middle which is more accessible and holiday cottage have been added in its place. The farm shop is an extension that has been added near the fruit trees.

Therefore, in present day the farm site has become more commercialized and has been expanded tremendously with numerous new enhancements on the site to make it more appealing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the two maps, identifying key changes such as the conversion of the sheep grazing area and the relocation of the barn. However, the overview is somewhat repetitive, and the description of the barn's relocation is confusingly phrased. While the main features are selected, the comparison between the two time periods could be more precise. For example, the mention of the 'farm shop' as an extension is accurate, but the overall summary lacks a clear, cohesive synthesis of the transformation from a purely agricultural site to a more commercialized one. The response meets the requirements but lacks the analytical depth expected for a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of changes. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. Phrases like 'In the present day' and 'Therefore' are used, but the transition between the description of the grazing area and the road/barn changes feels abrupt. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'the barn has was demolished... to be shifted', where the flow is interrupted by grammatical errors. Improved use of linking words and better paragraph structure would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with terms like 'commercialized', 'reconstructed', and 'demolished' used correctly. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a tendency to repeat phrases like 'farm site' and 'added'. Some word choices are slightly awkward, such as 'the point at where sheep grazed', which is not a natural collocation. To reach a higher band, the student should aim for more precise descriptive language, such as 'converted into', 'replaced by', or 'situated in the vicinity of', to better describe the spatial changes on the map.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several noticeable grammatical errors, such as 'the barn has was demolished' (double auxiliary verb) and 'a a camping field' (repetition). Additionally, the phrase 'the point at where sheep grazed' is grammatically clunky. While the meaning is generally clear and these errors do not impede communication, the frequency of these slips prevents the response from reaching a higher band. More attention to subject-verb agreement and proofreading for minor slips would improve the score significantly.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.