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 two maps illustrate the farm site has changed since it first opened in 1950.
Overall, the farm has undergone significant redevelopment, with many original features being removed or replaced. Recreational and commercial facilities have been added, including roads, camping field, solar panels and barn, while the farm house and fruits and vegetables area remain unchanged.
In 1950, there was a track for citizen in the centre of the farm which has now been replaced by a road for vehicles. The sheep area at the top of the farm has been demolished and a camping field and solar panels has been created. Parking has been created at the east and north side of the farm.
On the south side, the farm is almost same just few things has been added. Farm shop has been added in the fruit trees and barn has been moved at the centre of the road. Barn area has been replaced by holiday cottages. The river which was flowed at the south side has been not changed also fruit trees, soft fruits, vegetables, farmhouse, chickens sides remain unchanged.
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 successfully addresses the prompt by comparing the two maps of Beechwood Farm from 1950 and the present day. An overview is provided, highlighting the main changes such as the addition of commercial and recreational facilities and the removal of the sheep area. Key features are reported, including the new roads, camping field, solar panels, and farm shop. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and overstatements in the details; for instance, the original barn area was not strictly replaced by holiday cottages, and some stated unchanged areas (like the old barn) were actually relocated or altered. Overall, the task is adequately addressed, placing the response solidly in Band 6.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is arranged into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, moving to an overview, and then detailing specific changes in the north and south sections. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader through the comparison, such as 'Overall', 'In 1950', and 'On the south side'. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical, as seen in phrases like 'The river which was flowed at the south side has been not changed also fruit trees...' which creates awkward transitions and run-on sentences. Paragraphing is present and appropriate, but overall progression could be smoother.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing map changes, including terms like 'redevelopment', 'demolished', 'recreated', and 'unchanged'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'track for citizen' instead of 'farm track' or 'path', 'has been not changed' instead of 'has remained unchanged', and awkward prepositional phrases like 'at the east and north side'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited accuracy, placing this criterion at Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and passive voice constructions (e.g., 'the farm has undergone significant redevelopment, with many original features being removed'). However, grammatical errors are frequent throughout the text, including tense and voice issues ('has been not changed', 'few things has been added', 'barn has been moved at the centre'), missing articles ('a camping field and solar panels has been created'), and subject-verb agreement errors. While communication is not severely impeded, these persistent errors prevent a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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