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 plans depict the development made in farm from 1950 to the present day.
Overall, landscape underwent some significant changes, track is converted into road, the site between river and road experienced few changes, in comparison with the area on opposite side of the road.
In 1950, tracks connected to the main road divide part in two parts. The sheep area was a vast open piece of land connected with track and main road. The area near river bank were divided into different rectangular patch of land for Fruit trees, soft fruits, and vegetables. Near the curve of the river there was a chicken farm, the barn and farm house were built near triangular track on edge of river.
Until now the farm experienced some major changes a new parking was construed near main road.
New farm shop is introduced on side of fruit trees patch, track is now converted into new road, barn was moved from its location to one end of triangular path, holiday cottage replaced old barn, another parking is introduced on opposite side of road parallel to holiday cottage . The sheep farm is now reconstructed into Camping field and solar panels area. Resistant to the changes soft fruits patch, vegetables areas and chicken form remained unchanged.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making clear comparisons between Beechwood Farm in 1950 and its current layout. An adequate overall trend is provided, noting the major transformations such as the conversion of tracks into roads and the introduction of recreational facilities. Key spatial relationships and changes are highlighted, such as the conversion of the sheep area into a camping field and solar panels, alongside features that remained unchanged, like the soft fruits and vegetables patches. While some minor details could be further elaborated, the response covers the essential information effectively, earning a band score of 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is generally coherent with a clear overall arrangement. The student uses basic paragraphing to separate the introduction, overview, and body details. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical or abrupt, such as 'Until now the farm experienced some major changes...' Referencing is generally clear, but the logical progression within the second body paragraph could be smoother. Paragraphing is adequate for the task, resulting in a solid band 6.0 performance.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe physical features and changes with reasonable clarity. There are successful attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'reconstructed', 'unchanged', and 'rectangular patch'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as writing 'development made in farm' instead of 'development made to the farm' and 'chicken form' instead of 'chicken farm'. Spelling and word formation are generally fine, but lexical control fluctuates, placing this response at band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues throughout the text, including missing articles ('track is converted into road', 'new parking was construed near main road') and comma splices ('Overall, landscape underwent some significant changes, track is converted into road...'). Despite these errors, meaning is rarely impeded, and the majority of sentences communicate their intended points clearly. This aligns well with the descriptors for a band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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