Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-17
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 map charts illustrates the area of a farm in 1950 and the same site today.
Overall, the area underwent considerable redevelopment, characterized primarily by the construction of many different type of landscape and the removal of sheep.
Describing the map, a new parking, camping field and solar panels added in the northern section, before removing the sheep. Track was replaced by road and attached a barn in the southern side with Y shape road. The area underwent a substantial transformation, with barn being replaced by holiday cottages in the western section.
Turning to moving toward, the river, soft fruits, vegetables and chickens remained unchanged throughout the period. Moreover, below the solar panels a new parking area introduced. The fruit trees remained no changed, but a new farm shop constructed. While, the southern section underwent considerable development, the northern part remained largely unchanged with several facilities. In the present time, farm is more modern than past.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student successfully highlights the main changes between the 1950 farm and the modern site, such as the removal of sheep, the addition of a camping field, solar panels, a farm shop, and holiday cottages. An overview is present in the second paragraph, capturing the overall redevelopment. However, there are some inaccuracies and misinterpretations in the spatial reporting. For instance, the student states that the barn was replaced by holiday cottages in the western section, whereas the plans show a new set of holiday cottages situated near the new internal road, and an old barn still present in the southern area. Furthermore, the claim that the northern part remained largely unchanged contradicts the addition of a parking area, camping field, and solar panels in that zone. These errors place the response at Band 5.5 for Task Achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into four paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing specific changes. Cohesive devices and transitional phrases are attempted, such as 'Overall', 'Turning to moving toward', 'Moreover', and 'While'. However, some of these connectors are unnatural or clumsily used, such as 'Turning to moving toward' and 'While, the southern section underwent considerable development, the northern part remained largely unchanged with several facilities' (which contradicts itself and the visual data). Paragraphing is visually present, but the logical progression within and between paragraphs is disrupted by confusing spatial references and contradictory statements. Overall, the organizational structure meets the criteria for Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary relevant to the task, including terms like 'redevelopment', 'transformation', 'facilities', and 'solar panels'. However, there are frequent lexical errors, incorrect word forms, and awkward collocations. Examples include 'charts illustrates' (grammatical/lexical overlap), 'many different type of landscape' (unnatural phrasing), 'Track was replaced by road and attached a barn' (incorrect verb choice for spatial features), and 'remained no changed' (grammatical error in lexical form). Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success and control, resulting in a Band 5.5 score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including participial phrases and dependent clauses (e.g., 'characterized primarily by the construction...', 'While, the southern section underwent considerable development...'). However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with frequent errors including missing articles ('a new parking', 'a new farm shop constructed'), incorrect passive/active voice choices ('new parking area introduced'), missing prepositions, and faulty verb tense consistency. While communication is generally maintained despite these errors, the high frequency of basic grammatical slips prevents the response from reaching Band 6.0, fitting firmly at Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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