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 chart displays how the beechwood farm have changed over a certain period of time. First diagram displays the site in 1951 and second shows the same site nowadays. Overall, the farm revolutionized nearly by half. Many new buildings and sectors are newly intriduced only few things remain same like 1950. In the past atrack was laid that divides farm in two parts. One side of the farm was occupied by sheep and their related things.and the other side consist of various things like the fields fruit trees, soft fruits, vegetables,a poltury farm, farmhouse and barn. But today after revolutionising the farm has developed many new sectors on the place which was kept for sheep, many new things like parking, camping field and solar panels are installed. While, on the other hand there is addition of farm shop holliday cottage and barn har replaced from holiday cottage place to vacant place near poltury farm.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response attempts to present an overview of the changes in the two maps, noting that many new buildings and sectors have been introduced. However, the description is only partially developed and contains inaccurate reporting of details. For example, the student claims that the area formerly used for sheep was entirely converted into new facilities, and misinterprets the spatial layout regarding the barn and holiday cottages. The overview is rather vague, and some key features of the maps, such as the river, major roads, and exact positioning of the new recreational areas, are either omitted or described too generally. To improve to a higher band, the writer needs to select and report the main features more accurately and provide a clearer, more complete comparison between the two time periods.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response shows some basic organization, separating the introduction, an overall statement, and descriptions of the past and present layouts. However, there is a lack of clear overall progression, and the information is not always logically sequenced. Paragraphing is attempted, but sentences within paragraphs sometimes lack smooth transitions. Cohesive devices are used minimally and occasionally inappropriately, such as abrupt shifts between ideas and repetitive phrasing. Referencing is also at times unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the exact spatial relationships between the features on the maps. To achieve a higher score, the writer must ensure a more logical flow of information, use a wider and more accurate range of cohesive devices, and structure paragraphs with clearer topical focus.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and barely adequate for the task. The writer relies on basic terminology and makes several noticeable lexical errors in word choice, word form, and spelling, such as 'revolutionized', 'intriduced', 'atrack', 'poltury', 'holliday', and 'har'. While the response attempts some less common vocabulary related to the maps, these attempts are often imprecise or inaccurate, which causes some difficulty for the reader. To reach a higher band, the student needs to expand their range of vocabulary, use more precise terms suitable for describing maps and geographical changes, and pay closer attention to standard spelling and word formation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The grammatical structures used are relatively simple and repetitive, with frequent errors that occasionally impede understanding. There are noticeable mistakes in verb tenses, such as 'how the beechwood farm have changed', article usage, missing prepositions, and singular-plural agreement, such as 'the other side consist of various things'. Attempts at more complex sentence structures are often faulty, leading to awkward phrasing like 'while, on the other hand there is addition of farm shop holliday cottage and barn har replaced'. Punctuation is also inconsistent. To improve, the writer should practice forming more complex sentences accurately, ensure proper subject-verb agreement, and correct basic issues with articles and verb forms.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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