Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The diagrams illustrate how the layout of Beechwood Farm has been transformed from 1950 to today.

Overall, it is evident that the farmland has undergone radical modifications, including the addition of several infrastructures, a redevelopment of the farm estate, and the recreation of commutable paths. The exceptions left intact will be the main road on the top left of the farm, which crosses a river.

In the past, there was a track running from the main road to the eastern part of the farm, which divided the area into two sides. The northern site was particularly a pasture for sheep, while the southern ones had separate planting fields for fruit trees, soft fruits, and vegetables on the left. Besides, a barn, a farmhouse, and an area for chickens were situated in the southeast of the land.

At present, the track is converted to a road that makes way for vehicles to easily access the farmland, followed by the addition of parking lots and a farm shop at each end of the road. The barn is moved to the middle of the road, and the original site of the barn is used for holiday cottages. Furthermore, a camping field and solar panels have been newly added at the expense of the sheep grazing zone. Meanwhile, the farmhouse and chicken area remain unchanged.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing a comprehensive overview of the changes to Beechwood Farm between 1950 and today. The main features are clearly selected and reported, such as the conversion of the track to an internal road, the removal of sheep grazing in favor of a camping field and solar panels, and the addition of holiday cottages and a farm shop. The overview at the beginning captures the overall transformation effectively, and appropriate comparisons are made throughout the text, meeting all criteria for a Band 7.0 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organised with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and well-sequenced body paragraphs detailing the past and present layouts. Cohesive devices such as 'In the past', 'At present', and 'Meanwhile' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the comparison. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and effectively, ensuring a clear progression of ideas from the initial state to the modern day, maintaining a logical flow throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic task, incorporating less common lexical items such as 'radical modifications', 'redevelopment', and 'grazing zone'. Word choice is generally precise, though there are minor unnatural phrasings such as 'The exceptions left intact will be' and 'at the expense of the sheep grazing zone'. However, these lexical slips do not impede communication, allowing the response to comfortably achieve a Band 6.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including relative clauses ('that makes way for vehicles') and passive constructions ('is converted', 'are situated'). There is a variety of structures used across the text, and while there are minor tense inconsistencies in the future/present mix (e.g., 'will be' instead of 'are'), control of grammar and punctuation is generally good. The majority of sentences are clear and error-free, warranting a Band 6.5 score.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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