Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-02
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 plan illustrates the changes that have taken place on a farm site between 1950 and the present day.
Overall, it is clear that the farm has undergone with several big changes with several new features and with new developments. The new areas are being introduced in the farm and new technology has been installed.
In 1950, the sight consisted of several areas. At that time there were fruit trees in the left of north corner to the west side. Right next to there was a small area of soft trees and along with that there was a space for vegetables. One side of the farm site was surrounded by river and the northen side was surrounded by track boundary and area for sheep. In the east side of the side the areas were allocated for Barn, chickens and farmhouse.
While the southern part of the site has remained largely unchanged, the northern section has undergone considerable development. farm shop was added to the fruit trees section. Barn was completely demolished at the
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to complete the task as it is incomplete. The description of the current site is cut off mid-sentence ('Barn was completely demolished at the'), and the summary of the changes is not fully developed. While you identify some key features, the lack of a conclusion and the abrupt ending prevent a full overview. To improve, ensure you cover all major changes, such as the conversion of the barn into a farm shop and the addition of new housing, and provide a complete, coherent summary of the transformation.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive start. However, the progression of ideas is hindered by the incomplete nature of the final paragraph. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In 1950' and 'While the southern part', but the flow is disrupted by the sudden termination of the text. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus and that the transition between the past and present is smooth and fully articulated.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, using terms like 'undergone', 'demolished', and 'allocated'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'sight' instead of 'site' and 'soft trees' (which is unclear). The repetition of 'new' and 'areas' limits the range of your expression. To improve, try to use more precise descriptive language to describe the layout and the specific types of buildings or agricultural features shown in the diagrams.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex structures, but there are frequent errors that affect clarity. For example, 'undergone with several big changes' is grammatically incorrect, and 'in the left of north corner' is awkward phrasing. There are also issues with article usage and prepositions, such as 'surrounded by river'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and correct prepositional usage to improve accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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