Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-04
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 maps illustrate the information about farmer field in past 1950 and after change in field in nowadays .
To start with , in 1950, road was situated in the north west side and large area was for sheep in the north east side .three compartments was located near the river was in square in shape like fruit trees,soft fruits and vegetables . river flows from east to west direction .in the east side in large area three different houses were like barn , farmhouse,and chickens were located .
Moving further ,nowadays , river and road has been on the same place .many changes has been took place like in the north east side solar panels or parking space has been added .near the road another parking or farm shop also has been constructed .and trees or camping fieid in the center of the map has been build after removal of sheep area .barn house converted into holiday cottages . but other houses are remain same .
overall , many changes has been took place in todays .new house are added like barn , holiday cottages ,or parking area .but road or river were remain stable from past to today.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers the main features of the maps, including the location of the river, road, and the transformation of the farm areas. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear overview that synthesizes the most significant changes, such as the shift from agricultural production to tourism and leisure facilities. While the key features are identified, the comparison between 1950 and the present day could be more analytical. The report is accurate in its identification of the solar panels, parking, and holiday cottages, but the overall summary is slightly repetitive and lacks the sophisticated synthesis required for a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the past to the present. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat basic and occasionally repetitive (e.g., 'Moving further', 'To start with'). Some transitions are awkward, and the logical flow between sentences is sometimes interrupted by grammatical errors. Referencing is generally clear, but the paragraphing could be more effectively used to group related features, such as separating the infrastructure from the land-use changes. The overall structure is coherent, but the cohesive links are not always used with sufficient flexibility.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the various farm features like 'barn', 'holiday cottages', and 'solar panels'. However, there is a lack of precision and variety. Phrases like 'many changes has been took place' and 'other houses are remain same' demonstrate limited control over collocations and word forms. The student relies on simple, repetitive vocabulary rather than more descriptive or precise terms related to map analysis (e.g., 'converted', 'redeveloped', 'remained unchanged'). There are also several spelling and word-choice errors that, while not impeding communication, limit the range of the response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('three compartments was located', 'river and road has been'), incorrect verb tenses ('has been took place'), and missing articles. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with spaces before commas and periods. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction prevents the response from reaching a higher band. The student needs to focus on consistent tense usage and subject-verb agreement to improve accuracy.
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.