Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-24
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 show the site of a farm in 1950 and the same site today.
Overall, there has been a lot of changes in the farm plan including addition of farm shop and parking near the road. Solar panels and camping field has also been made in the farm.
The first major change is a new parking area and farm shop near the main road has been made. Barn is also made below the junction of two side roads. Barn is also located near the vegetables area and chickens. A small farmhouse area and holiday cottages has also been made along the side way road. Another parking area has also been made near the smaller road which is close to the solar panels.
The track in the first map is upgraded into a road. Camping field and a tree has also been made in the area where only sheep were present.
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 attempts to summarise the main changes between the 1950 plan and the present day, covering key additions such as the farm shop, parking areas, solar panels, and the camping field. However, the response lacks a well-developed overview, merely listing a few changes in the introduction rather than synthesizing the main trends (such as the shift from agricultural production to a commercial and leisure-focused site). Furthermore, some spatial relationships and descriptions are repetitive and lack precision, such as the repeated mentions of the barn and the imprecise location of features. Therefore, the response fulfills the basic requirements of addressing all parts of the task, but the development and overview are somewhat limited, placing it at Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay is divided into an introduction and three short body paragraphs, attempting a logical progression from general changes to specific details. However, paragraphing is underdeveloped, and cohesive devices are somewhat mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the transition between sentences often relies on repetitive sentence starters like 'Barn is also made...' or 'Another parking area has also been made...'. While the overall arrangement is coherent enough to follow the comparisons between the two maps, referencing and logical transitions lack flexibility and flow, which aligns with the descriptors for Band 5.5 to 6.0. Awarding 6.0 as the cohesive devices, while basic, do not completely obscure the logical structure.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary adequate for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'farm shop', 'solar panels', 'camping field', and 'holiday cottages'. However, there are noticeable limitations and inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'made in the farm' instead of 'constructed on the farm' or 'along the side way road'. Less common lexical items are attempted but lack precision. Spelling is generally accurate, but the overall lexical range remains fairly basic and repetitive, restricting the score to a 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though attempts at complexity frequently result in errors or awkward phrasing. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'Solar panels and camping field has also been made' and repetitive passive voice constructions ('has also been made', 'is also made'). Punctuation is basic, and although grammar errors do not completely impede communication, they occur with enough frequency to disrupt the flow and prevent the response from achieving a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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