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 map depicts the information about development in Beechwood farm' site from 1950 to present time.
Overall, frit trees ,soft fruits , vegetables, road, farmhouse and chickens location remains same over the period. In the north east side where the sheep was present that replaced by solar panels and parking. Whereas, the track turned into the road at same time.
In the north west a wide road connected to the track in 1950,which covering through wide road to the west side to the right of Barn. Whereas, the sheep area was flat at that time however, now four solar panels installed in the north west, camping field also capture the other left place of sheep area.
In addition, on the south direction fruit trees ,soft fruits , vegetables stayed on existed place along with river which comes from north west and going down to south then to east direction .Moreover barn moves to near farmhouse in its previous place there is a Holiday cottage made on the other hand, track constructed into road in today's time.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| 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 maps, identifying key changes such as the introduction of solar panels, the camping field, and the conversion of the track into a road. However, the description is somewhat confusing in places, particularly regarding the location of the barn and the holiday cottage. While the overview is present, it lacks a clear, cohesive summary of the most significant transformations. Some details are slightly inaccurate or difficult to follow, such as the description of the river's path and the relative positions of the new structures. To improve, ensure that spatial relationships are described with greater precision and clarity to help the reader visualize the changes effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Whereas' and 'In addition' used at the start of sentences that do not always flow logically from the previous point. The referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult to track which specific area of the farm is being discussed. For example, the transition between the north-west and south sections feels disjointed. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would significantly enhance the flow of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing for the description of basic features like 'solar panels', 'farmhouse', and 'holiday cottage'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and awkward phrasing, such as 'stayed on existed place' instead of 'remained in their original location' and 'track constructed into road' instead of 'the track was converted into a road'. There are also minor spelling and punctuation errors, such as 'frit trees' and missing spaces after commas. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring accurate spelling of key terms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('sheep was present', 'barn moves'), incorrect tense usage ('that replaced by', 'four solar panels installed'), and missing articles. Some sentences are poorly constructed, making the intended meaning ambiguous. While the attempt at complex sentences is evident, the lack of control over basic grammar rules and punctuation limits the score. Focusing on consistent tense usage and ensuring that sentences are grammatically complete will help improve the accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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