Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-23
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 map illustrates the changes in the site of a farm prior to its renovation in 1950 and its current layout.
Overall, the new farm has been transformed into a more modern layout along with the addition of camping field, parking, holiday cottages and the solar panels, while the old farm is not constructed with the modern upset.
Looking at the maps in more detail, the track has been replaced with the roads that is protected by barn. Although the two parking areas were located at east and other along the road, it helps to facilitate the visitors that shelter in camps. A notable addition was the solar panels located at the top right corner in a farm.
In contrast, even though the barn in a old farm has been converted into the holiday cottages, this is due to provide comfort to the tourists, while the fruit and soft trees, vegetables, farmhouse and chickens have remained in the same location.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student attempts to address the task by comparing the layout of Beechwood Farm in 1950 with its current layout. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting key changes such as the camping field and solar panels. However, there are some inaccuracies and misinterpretations of the visual data. For example, the student states that the barn in the old farm has been converted into holiday cottages, whereas the plans show holiday cottages built separately from the original barn. Additionally, some descriptions of the remaining features are imprecise. Nevertheless, the main features are touched upon, meeting the basic requirements for a balanced summary.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organised into four paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing specific changes. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'Overall', 'Looking at the maps in more detail', and 'In contrast'. However, referencing and logical progression are sometimes flawed, as seen in confusing sentences like 'the track has been replaced with the roads that is protected by barn'. Paragraphing is present and generally appropriate, but the overall flow and logical sequencing require tighter integration to reach a higher band.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'transformed', 'facilitate', and 'notable addition'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'modern upset', 'roads that is protected by barn', and 'fruit and soft trees'. Spelling is generally accurate, but awkward phrasing and unnatural phrasing limit precision and occasionally impede clarity.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses ('that is protected by barn') and concessive clauses ('even though the barn... has been converted'). However, grammatical errors are frequent, particularly with subject-verb agreement and article usage, such as 'roads that is', 'the solar panels located at the top right corner in a farm', and 'in a old farm'. These errors occasionally cause difficulty for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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