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 maps illustrate changes of Beechwood Farm todays and used to be in 1950.
Overall, sheep area undergo the significant development. Along with track that changed into road. Barn replaced by holiday cottages and barn constructed in small square. However, fruit trees, soft fruits and vegetables are remained on same place.
The most significant change happened in the east side; that used to be sheep area in 1950. According to today's plan, solar panels introduced with parking area; along with new green camping field with there parking spot arranged for users. In 1950 there was a track that completely changed into road .
On the other side, fruit trees, soft fruits and vegetables area lies side by side in 1950 and remained same till today; just new farm shop constructed just at the corner of fruit trees. In current layout, at the southeast, barn replaced by holiday cottages and barn constructed in square shape at the crossover of road. Moreover, Farmhouse and chickens area remained same for both years.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| 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 conversion of the sheep area and the addition of holiday cottages. However, the overview is somewhat disjointed and lacks a clear, cohesive summary of the most significant trends. While the student identifies the main developments, the description of the 'barn' is confusing, as the text mentions it being replaced by cottages while simultaneously being constructed in a square shape, which is contradictory. To improve, ensure that the overview clearly contrasts the site in 1950 with the present day, highlighting the shift from agricultural use to tourism-related facilities more explicitly.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate, such as the phrase 'along with there parking spot' and the repetitive use of 'remained same'. The transition between ideas is sometimes abrupt, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when describing the location of the new structures. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their antecedents would significantly enhance the flow of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'sheep area undergo the significant development' and 'remained same till today'. The student relies on basic descriptors and struggles with accurate collocations, such as 'crossover of road' instead of 'intersection' or 'junction'. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on using more precise terminology related to map descriptions, such as 'converted into', 'situated', 'adjacent to', and 'transformed'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include missing articles ('in east side', 'at corner of'), incorrect verb tenses ('are remained', 'barn replaced'), and awkward sentence construction ('there parking spot arranged for users'). While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles would improve the overall accuracy of the text.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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