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 2 diagrams are illustrating changes in the Beechwood Farm in 1950 and how does it looks today.

overall, A farm has undergone lot of changes. One significant change has been done at sheep area. More facilities are available now at the farm.

Along the river, there are fruit tress, soft fruits and vegetables. At the East-South corner there was Barn, Farm house and a place for chickens. The triangular track was rough back in 1950. On the other side of the river was vast sheep area.

In today, The Beechwood Farm is has changed a lot. A small Farm shop has been built at the corner of the fruit tress. Barn is shifted at the edge of the Triangular road and Holiday cottages are constructed at the Barn site. The unpaved track is now converted to paved road. The prominent changes are seen at sheep site. Solar panels are placed at the North-East corner with parking. Then a camping field constructed for visitors again with another parking.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the maps, including the transition from agricultural land to a more commercial/leisure-oriented site. However, the overview is somewhat generic and lacks a clear, analytical summary of the most striking changes. While the response identifies key developments like the holiday cottages and solar panels, the description of the 1950 layout is slightly disjointed. To reach a higher band, you should focus on grouping information more logically—for example, contrasting the residential/farm buildings with the land usage—rather than listing features in a sequential, item-by-item manner.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the past to the present. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate, such as 'In today' or 'Then a camping field'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the flow between sentences could be improved by using more sophisticated linking words (e.g., 'whereas', 'subsequently', 'in contrast'). Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs lacks a cohesive thread that links the changes together effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the reader to understand the changes described. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'The 2 diagrams are illustrating' (should be 'illustrate') and 'sheep area' (should be 'sheep farming area'). The range is somewhat limited, relying on basic descriptors. To improve, you should incorporate more precise terminology related to map descriptions, such as 'transformed', 'converted', 'replaced', or 'situated', and avoid repetitive phrasing.

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 distract the reader. Examples include 'how does it looks' (should be 'how it looks'), 'A farm has undergone lot of changes' (missing article), and 'Barn is shifted' (missing article). Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent throughout the text. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and article usage would be beneficial.

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

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