Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-01

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 pictures are about the changes in the plan of the Beechwood Farm.

Overall, it is about the difference and changes in Beechwood Farm from nineteen fifty to today.

In nineteen fifty, the Beechwoof Farm contains a track starting with fruit trees. After we going forward on the track we see soft fruits and vegetable harvests. Then the track moving in a triangle shape and going to left we see Barn, Farmhouse and Chickens. There is a river on flowing on the back of the track.

Today, the track looks so different like now the track becomes a road. In the start of the road we got parking, Camping fields on the left side of the road. On the ride side of the road, there are Farm shop with Fruit trees. On moving forward on the road, we saw Holiday cottages, Farmhouse on the right side and on the left side, there is another parking space and with that space we saw some Solar panels as well.

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 transition from a track to a road and the addition of new facilities like the farm shop and solar panels. However, the report lacks a clear overview of the most significant trends, such as the shift from agricultural production to commercial and leisure activities. The description is somewhat mechanical, listing items rather than synthesizing the information effectively. To improve, ensure you group features logically and provide a more analytical summary of the overall transformation of the site.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow between sentences is often repetitive and lacks variety in cohesive devices. Phrases like 'After we going forward' and 'On moving forward' are used as mechanical transitions. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as 'with that space we saw some Solar panels', which makes the spatial relationship difficult to follow. Using a wider range of linking words (e.g., 'subsequently', 'in contrast', 'furthermore') and improving the logical progression between the 1950s layout and the current layout would significantly enhance the coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'the track moving in a triangle shape' and 'the track looks so different' lack the precision required for a higher band. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'vegetable harvests' instead of 'vegetable plots' or 'crops'. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise, topic-specific vocabulary related to map description, such as 'converted into', 'replaced by', 'situated to the north', or 'undergone significant development'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. There are issues with verb tense consistency (e.g., 'the Beechwoof Farm contains' instead of 'contained') and sentence structure (e.g., 'After we going forward' should be 'As you move forward'). Subject-verb agreement and preposition usage are also inconsistent. While there is an attempt at complex sentences, they are often faulty. Focusing on basic sentence accuracy and ensuring consistent use of past tense for the 1950s and present tense for the current map is essential.

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

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