Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-21

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 maps illustrate how Benchwood Farm changed from 1950 to the present day.

In 1950, the farm had many areas for growing plants and trees. On the left side there were fruit trees and soft fruits. In the middle, there was a vegetable garden. On the right side there was a big field for sheep and a barn. A river ran along the bottom edge.

Today, many things are changed. The old barn was removed and holiday cottages were built there. In the north east side is now a camping field with solar panels park. A new farm shop and two parking areas were built near the road. Also a chicken area was added near the bottom, but the fruits trees vegetables field and river are still in the same places.

overall, the farm changed from a quite farming place into a place for tourists, visitors and green energy field. Although some fruits and vegetables areas stayed the same.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by summarising the main changes between 1950 and the present day. An overview is provided in the final paragraph, highlighting the shift from an agricultural farm to a tourist and green energy site. Key features, such as the removal of the old barn, the addition of holiday cottages, a camping field, solar panels, and a farm shop, are accurately reported. However, some minor details contain minor inaccuracies compared to the prompt (e.g., claiming a chicken area was added when it was already present in 1950). Overall, the response effectively covers the visual data and presents a clear comparison.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is logically organised into four paragraphs: an introduction, a description of the past layout, a description of the present layout, and an overall summary. Cohesive devices are used adequately, such as 'In 1950', 'Today', and 'Although', to guide the reader through the comparison. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different time periods. While referencing is generally clear, some transitions feel slightly mechanical ('Today, many things are changed'), but overall, the progression of information is coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with attempts to use less common items related to map descriptions, such as 'holiday cottages', 'camping field', 'solar panels', and 'farm shop'. However, there are some minor lexical errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'solar panels park' instead of a solar panel installation, and a typo in the name of the farm ('Benchwood' instead of 'Beechwood'). Despite these slips, the range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are examples of complex sentences, such as 'The maps illustrate how Benchwood Farm changed...' and 'Although some fruits and vegetables areas stayed the same.' Grammatical control is generally fair, though there are punctuation and phrasing errors, such as missing commas and a fragment sentence in the conclusion ('overall, the farm changed...'). The majority of simple sentences are error-free, and complex attempts do not impede overall communication, placing this response firmly in Band 6.

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

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