Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-03

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 provided map depicts the information regarding changes and mordernization of a farm in the year 1950.

Looking from an overall perspective it is quite evident that place is now equipped with more facilities such as, parking area and camping feild.There are various others facilities which will be discussed in futher statements.

In 1950, a large empty area beside road know as sheep is now equipped with many facilities including, a seperate parking area, 4 solar panels are installed for green electricity wiht camping area for visitors and a tree near camps. Furthermore, a lane which cover these sections is now converted into road.

Moreover, 3 section near road and river holds different works such as, vegetable, soft fruits and fruit tree including a farm shop in it. In addition, barn which was in north east side is now shifted in middle aat intersection of road. However, place which was used as as barn is now converted into holiday cottages.

AI examiner evaluation

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

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response covers the main changes between 1950 and today, noting key additions like the camping field, parking areas, and solar panels. However, the overview is somewhat limited and mechanical, stating that 'various others facilities which will be discussed in futher statements,' which is not typical of a well-formed Academic Task 1 summary. Certain spatial details are also under-developed or imprecise, such as describing the barn's relocation and the conversion of the original barn into holiday cottages. To reach a higher level, the response needs a more polished and comprehensive overview that synthesises the overall transformation without relying on meta-language, alongside more precise reporting of specific location changes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text is organized into paragraphs, providing a basic overall arrangement of the two map features. However, the progression lacks smooth flow, and cohesive devices are sometimes handled awkwardly, such as 'Looking from an overall perspective it is quite evident that place is now equipped...' which contains punctuation errors and unnatural phrasing. Referencing between sentences can be repetitive, and paragraphing is disrupted by abrupt shifts in topic without sufficient logical linking. To improve, the writer should use a wider variety of cohesive markers more naturally and ensure each paragraph transitions fluidly into the next, maintaining a clear logical progression throughout the description.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate to describe the general features of the maps, attempting less common items such as 'modernization', 'solar panels', and 'holiday cottages'. However, there are notable spelling errors ('mordernization', 'feild', 'futher', 'wiht', 'aat') and awkward word choices or collocations ('holds different works', 'lane which cover these sections'). These lexical slips and spelling inaccuracies indicate a limited control of word formation and spelling at times. To achieve a higher band, the student needs to expand their range of precise vocabulary relating to spatial changes and eliminate basic spelling and word-form errors that detract from the overall quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple sentences and basic complex forms, with frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Examples of errors include missing articles ('beside road know as sheep'), incorrect prepositions ('in north east side'), and faulty relative clauses ('a lane which cover these sections'). Punctuation is also weak, evidenced by missing commas after introductory phrases and run-on structures. To move up, the writer must demonstrate better control over complex sentence patterns, ensure correct subject-verb agreement and article usage, and reduce the frequency of basic grammatical mistakes that make parts of the text difficult to parse.

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

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