Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-28
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 mentioned plans illustrate difference of the site of a beechwood farm in 1950 and the same site today. In the first layout, the sections were allotted for fruit trees, soft fruits, vegetables, chickens, farmhouse and barn connecting each-other with track path. On the opposite side of the track, there was a huge area dedicated for sheep.
With reference to current layout of the farm, track has been converted into road in the same direction. there were many changes made to introduce new sections and facilities. To facilitate parking, two locations are introduced, one parking is available near the main road and the other one is at end of the farm. Barn section has been shifted at adjoining of the road near chickens. One small farm shop area is opened near fruit trees. Major development has been made in sheep area, where camping field and solar panels are introduced.
To conclude, there is no alteration made in fruit trees, soft fruits, vegetables, farmhouse and chickens area. While, new barn section is added and old barn area converted into holiday cottages.
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 successfully highlights the main features of the farm in 1950 and compares them with the current layout. Key changes, such as the conversion of the track into a road, the addition of parking areas, a farm shop, a camping field, solar panels, and holiday cottages, are reported. However, there are some minor factual inaccuracies in the concluding paragraph, such as the statement that 'there is no alteration made in... farmhouse and chickens area', when the holiday cottages and barn locations have changed relative to them. Additionally, the overview could be more comprehensive by explicitly summarising the overall transition from a purely agricultural farm to a diversified commercial and recreational site. Overall, the response addresses the prompt adequately, earning a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organized into three paragraphs, following a logical progression from an introduction of the 1950 layout to current changes and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In the first layout', 'With reference to current layout', and 'To conclude'. However, some of the referencing and transitions are slightly mechanical or abrupt, and there are mechanical errors in cohesion like missing capitalization ('there were many changes') and punctuation issues. Paragraphing is generally appropriate, distinguishing between the past layout, current additions, and unchanging features. Progression is reasonably clear, placing this performance at Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing maps, including terms like 'allotted', 'converted', 'facilities', and 'alteration'. There are several word choice and collocation issues, such as 'connecting each-other with track path', 'at adjoining of the road', and 'old barn area converted'. Furthermore, there are repetitive uses of words like 'section' and 'area'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points, noticeable lexical inaccuracies prevent the score from reaching a higher band, placing it firmly at Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'In the first layout, the sections were allotted...' and 'Major development has been made in sheep area, where camping field and solar panels are introduced.' Grammatical control is inconsistent, with several errors including missing articles ('difference of the site', 'at end of the farm', 'in sheep area'), incorrect prepositions ('connecting each-other with track path'), and sentence boundary issues (uncapitalized 'there were many changes'). Complex structures often contain minor errors, though they rarely impede overall communication. This performance aligns with Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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