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 map illustrates the information about the changes which took place in Beachwood farm between 1950 and the present day.
overall, many transformation took place in the development of Beechwood farm, however, many places were similar in both maps.
after analyzing, it can be clearly seen that in 1950, there was a sheep area in the north-east side, whereas it was converted into parking, solar panels and camping fields today. However, there was a fram house, barn and chickens on the east side. In the first map, in the second map, one new place is added in this side, it was holiday, cottages today. The river was identical in both maps.
moving further towards the remaining data, the road was identical in both maps, fruit trees was located on the west side in the first map, whilst in the second map of farm shop is added on this side. In the west side, soft fruits and vegetables were identical in both maps.
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 addresses the main task by outlining the general transformations between 1950 and the present day at Beechwood Farm. However, some key features are under-developed or inaccurately described. For instance, the student states that 'soft fruits and vegetables were identical in both maps', which overlooks their relocation and resizing as seen in the visual data. Similarly, details regarding the new additions like the farm shop and holiday cottages are mentioned briefly rather than fully integrated into a clear overview of the site's layout changes. To reach a higher level, the response needs to present a more accurate and thorough selection of features with better development of comparisons.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response demonstrates some organisation with an attempt at paragraphing, but there is no clear overall progression. The use of cohesive devices is repetitive and at times mechanical, such as starting multiple paragraphs with phrases like 'moving further towards the remaining data' or 'after analyzing'. Additionally, referencing is sometimes unclear, and the paragraphing is disrupted by awkward spacing and very short, isolated sentences. To improve, the writer should ensure a smoother logical flow between ideas and use a wider, more natural range of cohesive links without over-relying on formulaic transition phrases.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The lexical range used is limited and just minimally adequate for the task. The student relies on basic vocabulary and makes several word-choice errors and spelling mistakes, such as 'Beachwood' instead of 'Beechwood', 'overall' starting with a lowercase letter, and 'fram house'. There are also awkward phrasing choices like 'one new place is added in this side'. Attempts to use less common vocabulary are sparse. To achieve a higher score, the student needs to incorporate a wider variety of precise, topic-specific vocabulary and eliminate basic spelling and word-formation errors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writing shows a limited range of sentence structures, with frequent errors in punctuation, capitalization, and articles. Examples include lowercase letters at the beginning of sentences ('overall, many transformation...'), missing plural markers ('many transformation', 'holiday, cottages today'), and awkward prepositional usage ('in this side' instead of 'on this side'). While simple sentences are generally understandable, attempts at more complex structures introduce frequent errors that can cause some difficulty for the reader. Greater control over grammatical structures and basic sentence punctuation is required to progress.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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