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 following layouts show the major changes that have taken place on Beechwood Farm since 1950 until today. The changes included recreational and environmental improvements.
In 1950, the farm included a track crossing the farm different parts and bounded by the river and a main road at the west. It mainly contained large area for sheeps in the north as well as a barn, a farmhouse and area for chickens in the east side of the farm. In the west side before the road, there are three farm lands growing: vegetables, soft fruits and fruit trees.
Today, a significant improvements occurred. Firstly, the track has been transformed to a internal road. The sheep area was completely tranformed to occupy several services which are camping field along with trees plantation, two parking area, and solar panels were placed in the north eastern of the farm. the barn was changed to holiday cottages and a new smaller barn was added instead nearby, while the farmhouse and chickens area remained unchanged. finally, a farm shop was situated in the land of fruit trees.
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 student successfully highlights the main features and general changes on Beechwood Farm between 1950 and today. An overview is provided in the introduction and conclusion, noting the addition of recreational and commercial facilities. Key features are reported, such as the transformation of the sheep area into a camping field, parking, and solar panels, as well as the conversion of the barn into holiday cottages and the introduction of a farm shop. However, some minor spatial details contain inaccuracies or vagueness, such as stating 'the barn was changed to holiday cottages and a new smaller barn was added instead nearby' when the original barn remains and a new one is located elsewhere. Overall, the task is adequately covered, aligning with a Band 6.0 performance.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organized into three logical paragraphs: an introduction, a description of the past layout, and a description of present changes. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate time periods. Cohesive devices and transition markers such as 'In 1950', 'Today', 'Firstly', and 'finally' are employed to guide the reader through the comparison. However, cohesion at the sentence level is occasionally mechanical, and referencing is sometimes imprecise, as seen with pronoun usage and abrupt transitions between sentences. Nevertheless, there is a clear logical progression throughout the text, supporting a Band 6.0 score.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing maps and physical changes, utilizing terms such as 'transformed', 'recreational', 'environmental improvements', and 'holiday cottages'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, but these are occasionally marred by word choice and morphological errors, such as 'sheeps' (instead of 'sheep'), 'tranformed' (spelling error), and 'trees plantation' (instead of 'tree plantation' or 'planted trees'). Despite these inaccuracies, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main message without impeding overall communication, meriting a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writing features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The changes included recreational and environmental improvements' and 'Today, a significant improvements occurred.' There are several noticeable grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('a significant improvements occurred') and prepositions ('on the east side' instead of 'in the east side', 'in the land of fruit trees'). Punctuation and capitalization are occasionally neglected at the beginning of sentences (e.g., 'the barn was changed...'). While these errors are frequent, they rarely impede communication, placing the grammatical control firmly at a Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.