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 a camping field were established in the initial sheep area to attract visitors and enhance the sustainability of the site, and they have added two different parking spots for each place. Furthermore, the initial pathway was a simple track and now has become a principal road.
Moreover, in the southern side, a small farm shop in the fruit tree area has been added, and they have switched the place of the main barn. Also, they have cut the ancient barn into three pieces and made a place there 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 | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response successfully covers all main features of the maps, providing a clear overall comparison between 1950 and the present day. The student correctly identifies the major transformations, such as the conversion of the sheep area into a camping field and solar panels, the addition of a farm shop and parking spaces, and the development of the track into a road. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and speculation regarding purpose and intent, such as stating that features were added 'to attract visitors and enhance the sustainability', which goes beyond objective reporting. Additionally, the description of how the barn was split into holiday cottages contains a minor misinterpretation of the spatial relationship on the maps. Overall, the key information is adequately reported.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay is organized into four paragraphs, including a clear introduction and a general overview paragraph. Information is logically sequenced, moving generally from north to south across the site. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Moreover', and 'Also' are used to connect ideas, though some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive in their placement at the start of sentences. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different areas of the farm. While logical progression is generally maintained, referencing can occasionally be slightly unclear, as seen in phrases like 'for each place'.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, incorporating terms such as 'transformations', 'sustainable', 'layout', and 'established'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and unnatural collocations, such as 'switched the barn place' instead of 'relocated the barn', and 'cut the ancient barn into three pieces' when describing the creation of holiday cottages. There are also occasional phrasing issues like 'car road' instead of 'main road' or 'access road'. Despite these limitations, the vocabulary successfully conveys the intended meaning without causing major miscommunication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and coordinating conjunctions effectively (e.g., 'most notably the sheep area, which became divided...'). Grammatical control is generally fair, though some errors persist, such as tense inconsistencies and awkward phrasing ('the initial pathway was a simple track and now has become a principal road'). Punctuation is generally accurate, and errors in grammar do not impede communication. The variety of structures used allows the essay to flow reasonably well, though greater precision in complex constructions would be required for a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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