Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-01
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 illustrate how the layout of Beechwood Farm has changed from 1950 to the present day.
Overall, Beechwood Farm has undergone significant redevelopment, with several new facilities being constructed, existing amenities have been expanded or replaced and some features are relocated to different positions, while certain elements have remained unchanged.
Regarding new construction and modifications, a parking area, a camping field and solar panels have been added in the placr of sheep. Farm shop is introduced in fruit shop. Holiday cottages have been buid in the place of barn. Track have been converted into road.
In terms of relocation and unchanged features. The barn is relocated to mid point of road. However soft fruits, vegetables, chickens and farmhouse have remained unchanged throughout the period. Fram has become more developed and visitor-oriented.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses the main features of the maps, noting the transformation of Beechwood Farm from 1950 to the present day. However, it falls well short of the minimum length requirement, containing only 132 words against the 150-word minimum, which heavily restricts its score. While some key changes are identified, such as the addition of a parking area, camping field, and solar panels in place of sheep, several details are inaccurate or confusingly stated, such as claiming the 'Farm shop is introduced in fruit shop' or that the barn was converted into holiday cottages when the plans show holiday cottages replacing a different area. Ideas remain somewhat limited and under-developed, and the overview lacks precision regarding overall spatial shifts.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The text maintains a basic, coherent overall arrangement and attempts to organise information into an introduction, body paragraphs covering specific changes, and a brief conclusion. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical and referencing is occasionally unclear. For instance, transitional phrases like 'Regarding new construction and modifications' and 'In terms of relocation and unchanged features' are used to structure the response, but the internal logical progression within paragraphs is disrupted by abrupt statements and minor formatting issues. Paragraphing is attempted, but sentences feel somewhat disjointed due to limited cohesive ties between clauses.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully employing words such as 'redevelopment', 'amenities', 'construction', and 'relocation'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors, awkward word choices, and typos that impede natural expression, such as 'placr' instead of 'place', 'buid' instead of 'built', 'Track have' instead of 'Tracks have', and the confusing phrase 'Farm shop is introduced in fruit shop'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with some inaccuracy, limiting the range to a minimally adequate level for describing visual data.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentence forms, such as 'The maps illustrate how the layout of Beechwood Farm has changed...'. However, control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent, with frequent errors including subject-verb agreement issues ('Track have been converted', 'Fram has become'), missing plural forms, and awkward phrasing. While these errors do not completely obscure the overall meaning, they occur frequently enough alongside faulty complex structures to restrict the grade at this level.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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