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 plan represents the changes in beechwood farm between 1950s and today's periods. The farm in 1950 was not enough modernized as it shows in current plan.
Overall, 1950s Beechwood farm is enough simple containing six to seven taditional features, while modern farm is indicating several new items including solar panels, camping field and holiday cottages.
In 1950's beechwood farm, there are prominent features that show the old fashioned ways of construction as it has a separate area for sheep and barn.
In terms of today's farm, it is modernized by adding some features including a farm shop along with road, a seaparate camping field is constructed for people which was not sited in 1950's farm. Additionally, solar panels distinguish this farm from the previous one and the most attractive holiday cottage is also the new area in cuurent farm.
The current beechwood is modernized and fournished with some additional faetures including solar panels that were not installed in 1950, and a farm house which is the additional feature.
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 two plans, successfully identifying key changes such as the addition of solar panels, the camping field, and the holiday cottages, alongside older features like the barn. An overall summary is provided in the second paragraph, which helps establish the main trends between 1950 and today. However, some descriptions are slightly repetitive, such as mentioning the solar panels multiple times, and the comparison could be extended further with more specific spatial details or precise locations on the farm. Nevertheless, all parts of the prompt are addressed adequately, fitting the criteria for a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay demonstrates a clear overall progression with an introduction, an overview paragraph, and distinct body paragraphs discussing the past and present layouts. Cohesive devices are used to link ideas, such as 'Overall', 'In terms of today's farm', and 'Additionally'. However, there are some mechanical or repetitive cohesive links, and referencing is occasionally faulty, such as 'which was not sited in 1950's farm'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to structure the response, but the final paragraph largely restates points already made, weakening the overall logical flow. Overall, the organization is coherent and meets the requirements for a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'modernized', 'prominent features', 'traditional', and 'distinguish'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors throughout the text, including 'taditional' instead of traditional, 'cuurent' instead of current, 'fournished' instead of furnished, and 'faetures' instead of features. These errors do not seriously impede communication, but they restrict the lexical score. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main features of the maps, earning a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as relative clauses ('that were not installed in 1950') and introductory prepositional phrases ('In terms of today's farm'). There are, however, several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, including 'not enough modernized', 'enough simple', and punctuation errors regarding apostrophes ('1950's farm'). While these errors are noticeable, they rarely impede overall communication. The control of grammar is inconsistent, particularly with comparatives and adjectives, placing this performance firmly in the Band 6.0 category.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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