Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-16
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 two plans compare the layout of Beechwood Farm in 1950 and at present.
Overall, the farm has developed substantially now with numerous facilities and features. The farm is divided into three parts. The location of arm is still present at the boundary of the river. The three parts were seperated from eachother by a track in 1950 which is now converted into a road. The area of fruit treas, soft fruits and vegetables remain the same at present as they were in 1950. The sheep shelter in 1950 is completely diminished now and other elements are added in its place.
At present the triangular junction of the road leads to a small barn which was located next to the farmhouse in 1950. A farm shop is also placed near the fruit trees which was absent in 1950. Moreover, a camping field is established with a parking facility. On the backside of the camping field solar panels can be observed which also have a parking facility. Both of these have completely replaced the sheep shelter of 1950.
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 both maps, successfully comparing Beechwood Farm in 1950 with its current layout. The student identifies key developments such as the replacement of the sheep area with a camping field, solar panels, and parking facilities, alongside the addition of the farm shop, holiday cottages, and the conversion of the track into a road. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, which captures the general transformation of the site. However, there are minor inaccuracies in reading the plan, such as the statement that the small barn was located next to the farmhouse in 1950 (the old barn was further north) and a typo regarding the farm's location ('location of arm'). Despite these minor misreadings, the main features are adequately selected and reported.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response has a coherent overall arrangement and is divided into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and a body paragraph detailing the changes. Logical sequencing is generally maintained, moving from general observations to specific modifications in the north and east of the farm. However, paragraphing could be improved, as the text is somewhat dense, and cohesive devices are occasionally mechanical or slightly faulty (e.g., 'Both of these have completely replaced...'). Referencing is mostly clear, but the flow between sentences could be smoother with more varied transitional phrases.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing terms related to maps and geographical changes such as 'layout', 'converted', 'established', and 'facilities'. However, there are noticeable spelling errors ('seperated', 'eachother', 'treas') and awkward word choices ('completely diminished', 'location of arm'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points, these lexical inaccuracies prevent the score from reaching a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses ('which was absent in 1950', 'which is now converted into a road'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, including subject-verb agreement issues ('The location of arm is still present', 'fruit treas... remain') and passive voice clumsiness ('the farm has developed substantially now'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while errors are present, they rarely impede overall communication.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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