Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The given maps compare the layout of Beechwood Farm between 1950 and today.

Overall, the farm has undergone significant additions while some buildings have been repurposed.

Beginning, with the northwest quadrant there was a road connecting the track of the farm with the fruit trees, soft fruits and vegetable fields which all met at a triangular junction, while today the track has been developed into a proper road and a farm shop is opened by the fruit trees

A river flowed from the southwest quadrant curving to the southeast.

Also, there was a barn, a farmhouse and a poultry house for chickens in the southeast, and the barn was repurposed to holiday cottages and a new small barn was set up that met at the triangular junction in the middle. However, the farmhouse, chicken area and crop fields remained unchanged.

In 1950, the northeast quadrant was just dedicated to a sheep area which is today used as a multi-purpose area for camping along with some tree plantations, parking facilities and a particular area dedicated to the solar panels.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by comparing the two maps of Beechwood Farm from 1950 and today. An overview is provided, noting that the farm underwent significant additions and repurposing. Main features are selected and reported, such as the conversion of the sheep area into a camping field and solar panels, the addition of a farm shop, and the repurposing of the barn into holiday cottages alongside a new barn. However, there is a minor factual inaccuracy in the text: the student states that the farmhouse and chicken area remained unchanged, whereas the maps show the farmhouse and chicken area stayed in the same relative positions, but the phrasing "crop fields remained unchanged" overlooks that some fields (like soft fruits and vegetables) adjusted slightly in configuration. Overall, the response addresses the prompt well, satisfying Band 6.5 to 7.0 criteria.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is logically organised into paragraphs with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and body paragraphs discussing different areas of the farm (northwest, southeast, and northeast quadrants). Cohesive devices are used, such as "Overall," "Beginning, with," and "However," although some punctuation and phrasing around transitions are slightly awkward, such as "Beginning, with the northwest quadrant there was a road...". Paragraphing is used appropriately to structure the comparisons, contributing to an overall coherent arrangement that aligns with Band 6.0 descriptors.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as "repurposed," "multi-purpose area," and "plantations." However, there are some awkward lexical choices and collocation slips, such as "a poultry house for chickens" (redundant since chickens are specified) and "a farm shop is opened" (tense inconsistency/awkward phrasing). Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary does not impede communication, placing the response solidly in Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and coordinate structures (e.g., "...a road connecting the track of the farm with the fruit trees... which all met at a triangular junction"). However, there are several grammatical errors and punctuation slips, notably comma splices and run-on sentences (e.g., starting a sentence with "Beginning, with the northwest quadrant there was a road..." and lacking a main verb break). Errors do not impede communication, but they occur with enough frequency to prevent the score from reaching Band 7.0.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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