Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-30
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 maps compare the original layout of Beechwood Farm in 1950 with its current form.
Overall, the farm has undergone major changes, most notably the sheep area, which became divided into a camping field and solar panel area. Furthermore, they have switched the barn place and made some transformations in the fruit tree site. The track developed and became a road.
Solar panels and camping field established in the initial sheep areato attract visitors and enhance the sustainability of the site, and they added two different parking spots for each place. Furthermore, the initial pathway was a simple track and now became a principal road.
Moreover, in the southern area they have added a small farm shop in the fruit tree site, and switched the place of the main barn. Also they cutted the ancient barn into three pieces and made there a plance for holiday cottages. The river and the car road remained as before.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response covers the main changes shown in the maps, such as the conversion of the sheep area into a camping field and solar panels, the addition of holiday cottages, a farm shop, and parking areas, alongside the evolution of the track into a road. However, the overview is rather basic and lacks a clear, well-developed summary of the overarching trends. Additionally, some details are slightly inaccurate according to the visual data (for instance, the ancient barn was not cut into pieces to make holiday cottages; rather, holiday cottages were built where the old barn or open space was, while the original barn appears relocated or adapted further south). As a result, ideas are somewhat under-developed, aligning the response with Band 6.0 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The text is generally coherent and follows a logical arrangement, moving from an introductory overview into body paragraphs that detail specific spatial changes. Paragraphing is attempted, though the paragraphs are quite short and choppy, which disrupts the flow of the description. Cohesive devices are used, but sometimes repetitively or mechanically, such as the repeated use of 'Furthermore' and 'Also'. Referencing between sentences occasionally lacks clarity, making it harder to follow the precise spatial relationships between the old and new structures. These limitations place the response firmly in the Band 6.0 category.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully identifying features like 'camping field', 'solar panels', 'farm shop', and 'holiday cottages'. However, the range is limited and repetition occurs. There are noticeable word choice and morphological errors, such as 'initial sheep areato' (spacing error), 'switched the barn place' (unnatural collocation), and 'cutted' (incorrect past tense form of a regular verb). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they restrict the lexical score to Band 5.5, as more precise and flexible academic vocabulary is needed for higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The maps compare the original layout of Beechwood Farm in 1950 with its current form' and 'Solar panels and camping field established in the initial sheep area to attract visitors...'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly missing articles ('established in initial sheep area'), passive voice formation issues ('were established' instead of 'established'), and incorrect verb morphology ('cutted'). Punctuation and sentence structures occasionally falter, leading to awkward phrasing. Because these errors occur regularly and cause some difficulty for the reader, a Band 5.5 is appropriate.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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