Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The layout of a Beachwood farm in the 1950s and now is illustrated in the given maps.
Overall, it is evident that the farm was traditional and simple, while currently the farm has more facilities for a public with the combination of the technology.
First and foremost, the road in the northwest side remains the same in the past and the present maps. Moreover, the Sheep area was relatively occupied the large area of the farm in the northeast side
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, stopping abruptly at 80 words. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed. While the student attempts an overview and mentions a few initial features such as the road and the sheep area, the response omits the vast majority of significant changes and comparisons shown in the maps, such as the addition of the farm shop, camping field, solar panels, and holiday cottages. Because the text is severely under-length and underdeveloped, it falls into Band 4 according to the task achievement criteria.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text is organized into short introductory and body paragraphs, attempting a basic structure. However, due to the extreme brevity of the text, progression is severely limited. Cohesive devices are minimal, with only basic transitions like 'First and foremost' and 'Moreover'. Referencing is mostly clear in the limited sentences produced, but the overall arrangement feels incomplete and abrupt. It demonstrates the characteristics of a Band 5 response where organization is attempted but progression and overall cohesion are cut short.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student uses a limited but minimally adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a map, such as 'layout', 'traditional', and 'facilities'. There is a spelling error in the opening sentence ('Beachwood farm' instead of 'Beechwood Farm') and some awkward phrasing such as 'relatively occupied the large area'. Vocabulary errors and limited lexical range restrict the score to Band 5, as the range is just enough to convey basic points about the diagrams before stopping.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the introductory relative clause ('It is evident that...'). However, grammatical control is weak in places, demonstrated by awkward verb choices and tense inconsistencies, such as 'was relatively occupied the large area'. Punctuation is also incomplete, as the final sentence trails off without a full stop. Despite these errors, the sentences are mostly understandable, fitting the Band 5 descriptor where a limited range of structures is used with frequent errors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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