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 show what changes have been made at Beechwood farm site in comparison to 1950.
Overall, in 1950 the farm simply comprised of a track, sheeps, and a variety of fruits, and vegetables followed by a farmhouse and a barn.However, today's site map is more crowded with numerous buildings and facilities.
In 1950, there was a track in the centre starting from the road till the other end of the farm. All of the sheeps were present at the left side of the track. However, on the other side, there are sections one after another, specified for the growth of fruit trees, soft fruits and vegetables along with a river. Next to that, there are two buildings the first one is the farmhouse and the latter is the barn. the chickens can be found in betwen farmhouse and the area where vegetables were cultivated.
In contrast, todays site of the farm is more facilitated. The track is now converted into road, there is an addition of a farm shop in the area of fruit trees. Barn is now located next to vegetables, after that comes the chickens and farmhouse. A new building of holiday cottages has been made right after farmhouse. Meanwhile, on the left side of the is the parking area followed by camping field. There is another parking spot at the end of the road. Solar panels are now installed behind that parking spot.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The student successfully addresses the prompt by comparing the two maps of Beechwood Farm in 1950 and today. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting the transition from a simple agricultural space to a more crowded facility. Key features such as the track converting to a road, the addition of holiday cottages, a farm shop, parking areas, and solar panels are adequately reported. However, there are some minor spatial inaccuracies in the body paragraphs; for instance, the relative locations of the barn and farmhouse are slightly confused when compared to the visual data. Overall, the response covers the main features and makes relevant comparisons, aligning well with Band 6.5 to 7.0 descriptors. A band score of 6.5 is awarded as some details are slightly unclear or misdescribed.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The text is arranged into four paragraphs, following a logical structure with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the 1950 and current maps respectively. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In 1950', and 'In contrast' help guide the reader through the comparisons. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different time periods. However, referencing is occasionally imprecise (e.g., 'Next to that, there are two buildings... the chickens can be found in betwen farmhouse'), which disrupts the smooth flow of information. Despite these minor cohesive slips, the overall arrangement is coherent, earning a band score of 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to maps and rural environments such as 'cultivated', 'facility', 'converted', and 'solar panels'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, though some word choices are awkward or inaccurate (e.g., 'the site of the farm is more facilitated' instead of 'better equipped' or 'more developed'). Spelling errors are also present, such as 'sheeps' (should be 'sheep') and 'betwen' (should be 'between'). These lexical limitations and occasional errors place the performance firmly in the Band 6.0 category.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over tense shifts between past descriptions ('was a track') and present descriptions ('is now converted', 'todays site of the farm is'). However, grammatical errors occur throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('all of the sheeps were', 'there are sections... specified') and missing articles ('on the left side of the is the parking area'). Punctuation slips, such as missing spaces after periods ('barn.However', 'farmhouse. the chickens'), also detract from accuracy. Because errors are noticeable but rarely impede communication, a band score of 6.0 is appropriate.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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