Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-14
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 show the information about layout of a farm site in 1950 and how it looks today.
Overall, it can be seen that the area underwent significant development. Several new facilities were added such as parking, holiday cottages and farm shop while few were removed such as sheep farm or relocated such as Barn farm.
In 1950 the farm layout was simple in comparison to what it looks today. There were fruit trees, soft fruits and vegetable farm along the track. A sheep farm was built on the other side of the track. A farmhouse, barn fram and chickens farm was built near the triangluer track .
In trem of changes the track was converted into Road. Camping field was constructed at the site of former sheep farm and a parking was made besides the camping feild. Solar panels were instaled besides the camping feild and an additional parking was made along the road. Holiday cottages were constructed where barn farm used to be. however the framhouse and chickens farm and other three farms remained unchanged.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all parts of the task well by summarising the main features of the farm in 1950 and comparing them with the current layout. An adequate overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the main trends such as additions and relocations (e.g., 'parking, holiday cottages and farm shop'). Key features are selected and reported appropriately, such as the conversion of the track into a road, the installation of solar panels, and the construction of holiday cottages. While some descriptions are slightly generalised or imprecise—such as referring to 'barn farm' instead of the barn—the overall response successfully fulfills the requirements of Task 1 by providing a clear and accurate summary of the visual data.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is coherent overall and follows a logical structure divided into an introduction, an overview, past details, and current changes. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate distinct thematic blocks of information. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader through the comparison, though some transitions are basic or mechanically applied, such as 'In 1950' and 'In trem of changes' (a typo for 'In terms'). Referencing is generally clear, but the progression between sentences occasionally lacks fluency due to structural repetition and minor cohesive slips. Overall, the organisation is clear enough to allow the reader to follow the information easily.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The lexical resource is adequate for the task, demonstrating an attempt to use vocabulary relevant to describing maps and spatial changes, such as 'layout', 'converted', 'constructed', and 'relocated'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice inaccuracies, including 'triangluer' (triangular), 'trem' (terms), 'instaled' (installed), and 'feild' (field). Less common items are attempted with mixed success, and some expressions lack natural collocation. Nevertheless, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without severely impeding communication, placing the response firmly at the Band 6 level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'Several new facilities were added such as parking, holiday cottages and farm shop while few were removed...'. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several punctuation and capitalization errors, missing prepositions, and spelling mistakes within grammatical forms. For instance, 'parking' and 'camping field' are sometimes used without articles where countable nouns might be expected, and conjunctions are occasionally misused ('however the framhouse...'). Despite these recurring errors, simple sentences are generally clear and communication is rarely impeded, warranting a Band 6 score for grammar.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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