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 two maps show two different sites of Beechwood Farm in 1950 and at present. Overall, many facilities were added and the track was renewed as a road. The most significant change is the sheep area, where the side near soft fruits was converted into a camping field, while the new guest place was converted into solar panels. Also, two parking areas were built for farm guests’ traffic. The old barn has now been transformed into three holiday cottages. Behind the cottages, the farmhouse and chicken area remain unchanged and the new barn is located in a converging road near chickens, but it is smaller than in the past. Up the road, from vegetables to fruit trees, there is one change today, a farm shop. It is near the two-lane highway, built inside the fruit trees area. Furthermore, this can support visitors to buy fresh and natural products. Additionally, people living close can buy local food more conveniently.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by comparing the two maps of Beechwood Farm from 1950 and the present day. Key features such as the conversion of the sheep area, the addition of the farm shop, parking areas, holiday cottages, and solar panels are identified. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting spatial relationships and details. For instance, the text states that 'the new guest place was converted into solar panels' (which is confusing, as solar panels occupy the north-east corner), and mentions that the new barn 'is smaller than in the past', whereas the transcription and visual data show buildings transformed differently. Furthermore, the overview sentence is rather brief and includes speculation at the end ('Furthermore, this can support visitors...'). Overall, the task is addressed adequately, but greater precision in reporting map features would elevate the response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement and attempts to sequence the spatial changes logically, moving from the sheep/camping area down towards the buildings. However, the progression lacks smooth transitional flow between sentences, resulting in a somewhat disjointed feel. For example, jumping from the holiday cottages to the farmhouse, then to the new barn, and back up to the farm shop disrupts the spatial narrative. Cohesive devices are used simply, with expressions like 'Also', 'Furthermore', and 'Additionally', but referencing is occasionally unclear (e.g., 'this can support visitors'). Paragraphing is restricted to a single block of text following the introduction, which limits the logical structure. Organising the response into two clear body paragraphs corresponding to different areas or types of changes would improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'transformed', 'converted', 'conveniently', and 'natural products'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, writing that 'the track was renewed as a road' is less natural than 'paved into a road' or 'upgraded to a road', and 'new guest place' is imprecise for holiday cottages or a camping field. Spelling is generally accurate, but the precision required for describing maps—such as directional and spatial terms—is limited. The vocabulary successfully conveys the general message, but word choices need to be more precise and idiomatic to reach 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 ('where the side near soft fruits was converted') and participial phrases. However, grammatical control is inconsistent. There are awkward phrasings and structural errors, such as 'the new guest place was converted into solar panels' (panels are installed, not converted from a guest place) and 'located in a converging road near chickens'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while errors do not seriously impede overall communication, they occur frequently enough to restrict the score to Band 6. A wider variety of error-free complex structures with better control over prepositions and modifiers is needed for higher bands.

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