Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
Overall farm has a variety of amenities contained inside it in the year 1950, along with a road and a U-shaped river crossing, which gets later added with some other basic amenities as well. Through seven years, a significant change has shown.
In 1950, there is a huge space left for the sheep farming and other lots of spacing and lots of other, which get connected with track and roads. Between river and track, there is a bunch of block spaces, like fruit trees, soft fruits, vegetables. Although track has a triangular section in the middle of the layout, which further gets connected with the barn, farmhouse, and a small space for chicken.
On the other hand, configuration gets drastically changed. Lots of space has been acquired by parking spaces on both left and right-hand side of park with a spacing for solar panels as well, and a two-camp site along with a tree. These spaces have been acquired in this space of sheep farm. Moreover, fruit trees, soft fruits, vegetable blocks remain constant, but a small barn block added on the edge of the triangle, section of road, bigger barn divided into holiday cottages, although farmhouse and chicken space remain along river side.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to summarise the changes shown in the two maps of Beechwood Farm between 1950 and today. While the main features are mentioned—such as the conversion of the sheep area into parking, a camping field, and solar panels, and the retention of fruit trees and the farmhouse—the overview is weak and confused in its opening sentence. The writer attempts to make comparisons, noting that the agricultural land has been replaced by commercial and recreational facilities. However, some descriptions are vague or inaccurate, such as stating the barn was divided into holiday cottages when the plans show holiday cottages built where the barn/track area was, and a new barn added elsewhere. This places the response in Band 5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is divided into paragraphs, starting with an introduction and then moving into body paragraphs for 1950 and today. However, the logical progression is hindered by poor referencing and unclear cohesive devices. Phrases like 'which gets later added' and 'configuration gets drastically changed' feel unnatural and fail to smoothly link the ideas. Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of details is disjointed, leading to a somewhat mechanical and confusing flow. Pronoun referencing is also imprecise, making it difficult to follow which exact area is being discussed at times.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate to describe basic map features (e.g., 'fruit trees', 'vegetables', 'barn', 'farmhouse'), but it lacks precision and range. There are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'lots of spacing and lots of other', 'bunch of block spaces', and 'two-camp site'. Attempts at less common vocabulary lead to unnatural collocations. Spelling is generally acceptable, but the overall lexical control remains limited and repetitive, reflecting Band 5 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses, articles, and prepositions (e.g., 'Overall farm has a variety', 'Through seven years, a significant change has shown', 'a small barn block added'). Run-on sentences and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'Although track has a triangular section...') reduce clarity and cause difficulty for the reader. These frequent errors restrict the score to Band 5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.