Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-31
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 given plans illustrate the location of beechwood farm in 1950 and the same location in the present day.
Overall, the diagrams explain some major changings of beechwood farm from 1950 to present day.
In 1950 the beechwood farm is not so beautiful or developed as compare with current site. There are lot of changings occur in farm.
Today there are solar panels are installed in farm which was not in 1950. The sheep place is transformed into camping field that have lot of benefits for visitors.
At the bank of river Farm shops are opened with the fruit trees and now there is a barn which connect all the roads of beechwood farm and also two new parkings are added that have benefits for passangers.
Now in beechwood farm Holiday cottages are replaced with barn. These holiday cottages have lot of benefits and facilities for tourists and visitors.
In 1950 the roads was not complete but now roads are well developed and the overall structure of beechwood farm in well developed and have friendly environment.
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 identifies the main features of the site changes, such as the addition of solar panels, the camping field, and the new road layout. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. The student describes the changes in a narrative style rather than providing a clear, analytical summary. There is a lack of precise comparison between the two time periods; for example, the description of the barn and the road network is slightly confusing and lacks clarity regarding the spatial layout. To reach a higher band, the response should focus more on reporting the data objectively and highlighting the most significant transformations rather than listing features.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into short paragraphs, which helps readability. However, the logical progression is weak. The transition between ideas is often abrupt, and the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes repetitive (e.g., 'there are' and 'now'). The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the mention of 'the barn which connect all the roads', which does not clearly explain the spatial relationship shown in the diagrams. The overall structure lacks a cohesive flow that would guide the reader through the changes in a systematic manner.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, relying heavily on simple structures like 'there are' and 'have'. There are several instances of awkward word choices, such as 'major changings' (should be 'changes') and 'sheep place' (should be 'sheep pen' or 'pasture'). The student struggles with accurate collocations, such as 'the roads was not complete' and 'passangers' (which is a spelling error). While the meaning is generally conveyed, the range of vocabulary is insufficient to demonstrate the precision required for a higher band score in an Academic Task 1 report.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of information. Subject-verb agreement is a recurring issue, such as 'the roads was not complete' and 'there are solar panels are installed'. There is a lack of complex sentence structures; most sentences are simple or contain basic errors. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with capitalization and sentence boundaries. While the reader can understand the general intent, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the response from achieving a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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