Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-04
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 maps illustrate the view of a farm in 1950 and the same farm in present time.
Overall, it can be observed at a glance that there are a lot of changes in farm and the biggest change is that sheep area is replaced by solar panels and camping field. Instead of track there is now a road and barn is shifted from east to south of road. There are now holiday cottages instead of bar.
In 1950, Beechwod farm consists of a hude sheep area in nother east direction. Below it, there was a track. A river flowed from west to east below the farm in a curve shape. There was fruit tress, soft fruits and vegetables area under the track south west direction. It also contained a Barn , Farmhouse and chickens area in south east.
In current time, in the big sheep area there are now solar panels and camping field . Currently, the farm contain two parking which are in east and north west direction. Track is replaced by proper road and Barn is shifted in south direction. A Farm shop is added in fruit trees area and Holiday cottages replaces Barn. All the remaining areas are at same place.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by outlining the main features and making relevant comparisons between the two maps of Beechwood Farm. However, the development is uneven. While the overview captures the most striking transformations, some details are slightly inaccurate or under-developed, such as stating that 'bar' and 'barn' were replaced incorrectly or mixing up the exact spatial relationships of certain features. The selection of data is generally relevant, noting the addition of the farm shop, holiday cottages, solar panels, and the camping field, though minor details in the description lack precision.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to group information chronologically, dedicating separate paragraphs to the past and present layouts. However, cohesion can feel mechanical and repetitive, relying heavily on basic time markers ('In 1950', 'In current time') and transitional phrases. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in vague pronoun use and abrupt shifts between sentences. Paragraphing is present and separates the introduction, overview, past features, and present features, but internal transitions within paragraphs could be smoother and more logically sequenced to achieve a clearer progression.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate basic spatial changes and map features. However, the lexical range is limited and repetitive, with frequent reliance on basic terms like 'area', 'change', and 'road'. There are noticeable spelling and word choice inaccuracies throughout the text, such as 'Beechwod' (Beechwood), 'hude' (huge), 'nother' (northern), and 'tress' (trees). The student attempts some less common vocabulary items like 'solar panels' and 'holiday cottages', but overall lexical control remains simple and contains errors that occasionally draw attention.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though attempts at complexity occasionally result in structural errors. There are several grammatical inaccuracies, including verb tense inconsistencies, article omissions ('in present time', 'contain two parking'), and prepositional errors ('in nother east direction', 'shifted in south direction'). Despite these errors, the meaning remains mostly clear and communication is rarely impeded. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but subject-verb agreement and singular/plural consistency (e.g., 'the farm contain') need closer attention to reach a higher standard.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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