Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-10

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 plans illustrate how the Beechwood Farm site looked in 1950 and the same site today.

There are many changes in farm from 1950 to today. Sheep area of 1950 has been totally transformed and added many new facilities and services in that area today. They also modified area besides river located below right as compared to 1950.

Today, the track used in 1950 converted into a road, the right side of the road from the main looked almost same, only introduced a new Farm shop in front of fruit trees and constructed a Barn at the intersection of the road after right bend, it located infront of farmhouse in 1950. However, new holiday cottages builded in place of Barn today. Left side area is considered as sheep area in 1950 that modified totally today, they placed solar panels at far end, introduced camping field at place besides the road and constructed two parkings, one at the right end infront of panels and one at the left end near the main road. River remained on the same spot.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the maps, including the transformation of the sheep area and the addition of new facilities. However, the overview is somewhat weak; it lacks a clear summary of the most significant changes, such as the shift from a purely agricultural site to one with tourism-related infrastructure. While the response identifies key changes like the road, farm shop, and camping field, the description of locations is occasionally imprecise (e.g., 'below right'), which makes it difficult for the reader to follow the spatial changes without constant reference to the original image.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, but the logical flow is hindered by repetitive sentence structures and a lack of sophisticated cohesive devices. The transition between the description of the road and the sheep area is abrupt. While there is an attempt to use linking words like 'However' and 'Today', the overall progression feels mechanical. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'the right side of the road from the main looked almost same', which lacks a clear antecedent or precise spatial context.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. There is a reliance on basic verbs like 'look', 'make', and 'place'. Some word choices are awkward or non-standard, such as 'builded' (incorrect past tense) and 'sheep area' (which could be more descriptively termed 'pasture' or 'grazing land'). The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility or control needed for a higher score.

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. Examples include 'Sheep area of 1950 has been totally transformed and added many new facilities' (passive/active voice confusion) and 'new holiday cottages builded' (incorrect verb form). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma splices and run-on sentences. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors in basic verb tenses and sentence construction prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

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

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