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)
There are two pictures of same farm from two different time periods. It is evident from the snaps that with the passage of time farm has changed alot from simple anterior to modern appearance.
In 1950, farm was quite spacious with few areas allocated to different kind of vegetation along with farm animals. It was a pure example of farm with natural beauty. Comparison to this, present day farm is quite different from previous one. The area occupied the trees, fruits vegetables is still the same. Few changes are observed now. Tracks are replaced by roads in a farm. Two parking areas and camping field are introduced in the sheep area. For elecetricity solar panels are installed in todays farm. Moreover, Holiday cottages are also available now in the extreme right of this area.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, containing only 134 words, which negatively impacts task achievement. On a content level, the student attempts to summarise the main changes between 1950 and today, noting the replacement of tracks with roads and the introduction of solar panels, parking areas, and holiday cottages. However, the overview is extremely brief and superficial ('farm has changed alot from simple anterior to modern appearance'). Key features such as the conversion of the sheep area into a camping field and parking, the addition of the farm shop, and the retention of the farmhouse and barn are either missed or vaguely addressed. To reach a higher band, the student must write at least 150 words and provide a more thorough, structured comparison of all major developments.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The text is divided into three short paragraphs, but the paragraphing is underdeveloped due to the brevity of the response. There is a basic logical progression from introducing the maps to describing the past layout, followed by the current layout. However, cohesive devices are very limited and sometimes awkward, as seen in the phrase 'Comparison to this, present day farm is quite different from previous one.' Referencing is occasionally unclear ('the area occupied the trees, fruits vegetables is still the same' lacks proper prepositions and articles). Paragraphs lack internal depth and smooth transitional phrases to guide the reader seamlessly through the comparison.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive. While the student correctly uses some task-relevant terms such as 'vegetation', 'solar panels', and 'holiday cottages', there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and missing prepositions (e.g., 'changed alot', 'simple anterior', 'occupied the trees, fruits vegetables', 'in a farm'). Informal or unnatural phrasing like 'snaps' and 'todays farm' detracts from the academic register required for Task 1. To improve lexical scoring, the student needs to incorporate a wider and more precise range of vocabulary suitable for describing map transformations, avoiding informal colloquialisms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and moderately complex sentences, but grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors involving missing articles, prepositions, and punctuation. Examples include 'There are two pictures of same farm', 'farm was quite spacious with few areas', and 'For elecetricity solar panels are installed in todays farm' (spelling error in 'electricity'). While the meaning is generally communicated despite these slips, the frequent absence of essential articles ('the same farm', 'in the sheep area') and prepositional errors keep the grammar score at the band 5.5 level.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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