Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-27
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 4.5)
The provided maps illustrates the occupational changes that took place on Beechwood Farm comparing its layout in 1950
with the present day
Compared to its previous layout we can see many differences previously there was big area of land for sheep
but now that area has been divided into 2 sides at one side there is addition of Camping field, Parking lot and a tree and on the other side we can solar panels and another Parking lot this area has become good attraction for tourists .The track has been converted to road . A farm shop has been opened also along the fruit trees. The barn has been replaced by Holiday cottages the barn has been moved to place where to roads meet. By looking overall view of the farm we can know that this place has been converted as a tourist attraction where can enjoy the beauty of the nature alongside with the river.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The student attempts to address the prompt by comparing the maps of Beechwood Farm in 1950 and today. However, the response falls short in several areas. Firstly, there is no introduction of an overarching overview, which is essential for Task 1 map comparisons. Secondly, some of the descriptions are inaccurate or confusing, such as stating that 'the barn has been moved to place where to roads meet', whereas the original barn was demolished and a new one constructed in a different location, or misinterpreting the placement of features. While some major changes like the addition of holiday cottages, a camping field, and solar panels are mentioned, the development lacks a clear, structured progression and misses several key comparative details.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0
The response suffers significantly from a lack of proper punctuation and paragraphing. The entire body of text, apart from a brief introductory sentence, is clumped into one massive, run-on paragraph. There are virtually no full stops or commas used to separate clauses, making it extremely difficult for the reader to follow the logical sequence of ideas. Cohesive devices are minimal and basic, relying on repetitive phrases like 'at one side' and 'and then'. While the overall intent to contrast the past and present is visible, the complete absence of standard punctuation and effective paragraph breaks severely impedes the flow of information.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The lexical range is quite limited and repetitive. The student relies heavily on basic vocabulary such as 'big area', 'place', 'side', and 'converted'. There are noticeable awkward word choices, such as 'occupational changes' in the opening sentence, which does not accurately fit physical spatial transformations of land. Less common vocabulary items are attempted—like 'tourist attraction', 'solar panels', and 'holiday cottages'—but these are mostly lifted directly from the visual prompt labels rather than paraphrased or enhanced. Spelling is generally acceptable for common words, but the overall lexical flexibility remains restricted to a Band 5 level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0
Grammatical control is weak, primarily due to severe run-on sentence structures and a total lack of punctuation. The response consists of lengthy compound sentences strung together with coordinating conjunctions without any terminal punctuation until the very end. For instance, sentences like 'Compared to its previous layout we can see many differences previously there was big area of land for sheep but now that area has been divided into 2 sides...' demonstrate comma splices and missing periods. There is a very limited range of complex structures, and basic errors in verb forms and prepositions (e.g., 'we can solar panels') further detract from clarity.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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