Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-29

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 picture provides the information about Beechwood farm in 1950 and the same site today.

Overall, it has become more developed and well-furnished with greater facilities for hometown people as well as for tourists with parking, camping fields etc.

In 1950, there is a main road passing over the river as bridge. Besides the road, there are the fruit trees following the soft fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, there is also a track in front of these trees. It aslo contains Barn on the East side that contains Farmhouse and thre area for chickens.

Since that time, the farm has undergone substantial redevelopments like the sheep area on the North side is switched with camping fields as well as solar panels on the right side of it. There is also a parking below it. The holiday cottages replace the Barn and it is switched to the left-corner to it. There is also addition of farm shop besides the fruit trees.However, the roads are also developed and well-paved.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The student covers the main changes shown on the maps, such as the replacement of the sheep area with a camping field and solar panels, and the addition of holiday cottages, a farm shop, and parking areas. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, which captures the general transformation towards tourism and greater development. However, some spatial descriptions are imprecise or confusing, such as stating that 'the holiday cottages replace the Barn and it is switched to the left-corner to it.' Furthermore, certain details are misreported or omitted, bringing the response closer to a Band 6 level where key features are somewhat underdeveloped or imprecise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is structured into four paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, a description of the 1950 map, and a description of present-day features. Paragraphing is attempted appropriately. However, progression is occasionally disjointed due to awkward referencing and cohesive ties, such as 'It aslo contains Barn on the East side that contains Farmhouse' and 'It is switched to the left-corner to it.' Cohesive devices are mechanical and sometimes lead to confusion regarding geographical relationships, placing this criterion at Band 5.5.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for conveying basic changes, utilising terms like 'substantive redevelopments', 'solar panels', and 'holiday cottages'. However, there are noticeable lexical and collocation errors, such as 'well-furnished with greater facilities for hometown people' and 'the sheep area on the North side is switched with camping fields'. Word formation and spelling errors ('It aslo contains') also appear, reflecting a limited yet functional lexical range consistent with a Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and conditional-style referencing ('Since that time, the farm has undergone...'). However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with frequent errors in tense usage, prepositions, and article selection (e.g., 'there is a main road passing over the river as bridge', 'there is also a parking below it'). These errors cause some difficulty for the reader but do not completely impede communication, aligning with a Band 5.0.

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

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