Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-19
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)
he figures below compares the site of a farm in the two time periods, that is in 1950 and how it looks today.
Overall, the plans illustrate some major changes in the development of the site with an addition of camping fields, solar panels and construction of the road.
In 1950, Beechwood farm was simple along the side of the river. Fruit trees, soft fruits and vegetables are shown beside the track. A wide area that is indicated as sheep is located by the right side of the track. Furthermore, a farmhouse, barn and chickens were near to the river.
Today, the farm shows some various changes which include a farm shop near fruit trees. Track has been renovated and now there is a road which leads to barn. Moreover, camping fields are developed now and two parking areas are constructed. Solar panels are installed and barn is replaced by the holiday cottages.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student successfully identifies the main changes between the two maps, noting key additions such as the camping field, solar panels, farm shop, and parking areas. An overview is present in the second sentence, outlining major developments. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting the spatial relationships; for instance, the student states that the barn is replaced by holiday cottages, whereas the original map shows holiday cottages built near the road while the barn remains further south. Despite minor descriptive flaws, all parts of the prompt are addressed, supporting a solid Band 6.0 performance.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is structured into four paragraphs, following a logical progression from an introductory statement and overview to past features and current developments. Cohesive devices are used adequately to connect ideas, such as 'Overall', 'In 1950', and 'Today'. However, some referencing is slightly mechanical or abrupt, and paragraphing could be better balanced. Nevertheless, the progression of information remains easy to follow throughout, meeting the requirements for Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, incorporating appropriate terms related to farm maps such as 'fruit trees', 'soft fruits', 'vegetables', 'barn', and 'solar panels'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary ('renovated', 'construction'), but also some unnatural word choices or slight inaccuracies, such as 'simple along the side of the river' and 'various changes'. Spelling and word formation are generally accurate, placing this response comfortably at Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms. Examples of complex structures include 'Overall, the plans illustrate some major changes in the development of the site with an addition of camping fields...' and 'Today, the farm shows some various changes which include a farm shop...'. Grammatical errors occur, such as the initial tense slip ('he figures below compares'), missing articles ('along the side of the river'), and incorrect subject-verb agreement ('Fruit trees... are shown'). However, these errors rarely impede communication, justifying a band score of 6.0.
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.