Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-12

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 6.0)

The masterplan of an agricultural farm illustrates the conditions in 1950 and the changes that are evident today.

Overall, the masterplan of the farm has been developed with more architectural functions and some sustainable energy sources over the years. However, the road infrastructure remains the same.

In 1950, a track road started from the main road and went through the farm, and it was bent, changing the direction and creating a triangular track inside it. The land is confined between a river and the track, and divided primarily by the cultivation of fruit trees, soft fruits, and vegetables on the north side. The southern land is for a barn, farmhouse, and chickens. The other side of the track is for sheep.

After development, today the land of fruit trees contains a farm shop. Holiday cottages are beside the farmhouse. Two parking areas are designed: one in the east corner of the track road where it starts from the main road, and another is on the south side of a camping field that was once used for sheep. The camping field has four solar panels on the south side of the field to produce energy from the sunlight. Score and evaluate this for Task 1.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all major features of the two farm plans, providing a clear overview and highlighting key developments such as the introduction of a farm shop, holiday cottages, parking areas, and solar panels. The student makes relevant comparisons between 1950 and today, noting what remained unchanged, such as the road infrastructure. The main features are well selected and reported, fulfilling all requirements of Academic Task 1 without any noticeable omissions. The overview provided in the second paragraph effectively captures the essence of the changes. The response aligns well with the Band 7 descriptor, as all parts of the task are addressed with a clear focus throughout, though some minor spatial details could have been elaborated further.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by an overall summary, a detailed description of the past layout, and finally the current layout. Cohesive devices are used adequately to guide the reader through the text, such as 'Overall', 'In 1950', and 'After development, today'. However, the referencing and transitions between sentences can occasionally feel slightly mechanical, and the paragraphing of current features could be better integrated. Despite these minor issues, there is a clear logical progression throughout the text, satisfying the criteria for Band 6.5 to Band 7. The flow is generally smooth and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe spatial changes and map features, using terms such as 'agricultural farm', 'architectural functions', 'road infrastructure', and 'sustainable energy sources'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary like 'confined', 'triangle track', and 'solar panels'. However, some word choices and collocations are slightly unnatural or awkward, such as 'architectural functions' or 'triangle track' instead of 'triangular path'. Spelling and word choice are generally accurate enough to ensure that communication is not impeded, placing this response solidly in the Band 6.5 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and prepositional phrases (e.g., 'where it starts from the main road', 'that was once used for sheep'). There is good control over tense usage, appropriately shifting between the past tense for 1950 and the present tense for current conditions. While there are a few slightly clunky phrasings or minor grammatical awkwardness, such as 'the land is confined between a river and the track, and divided primarily by the cultivation', the majority of sentences are clear and error-free. Punctuation is used correctly throughout, supporting a Band 6.5 score.

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

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