Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-06
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 plans illustrates how Beechwood farm has changed since it first opened in 1950.
Overall, the farm has undergone significant redevelopment, with many original features being removed or replaced.Recreational and commercial facilities have been added, including an camping field, parking, solar panels and a farm shop while the farmhouse, chickens and other fields remains unchanged.
In 1950, there was a sheep area in the North east side of the farm which held most of the space of the farm which now has been replaced by area for solar panels, camping field for people to come and enjoy there.They also added two parking zones for the families or person who comes to the farm on both sides of the camping field.
They also converted the track into a road so people can travel through it and visit the whole farm.
There are some other things that are also seen in the farm like farm shop located at the side of the road. The barn had been replaced from East corner to the center of the farm and they connect the road to it to accommodate people who are visiting farm. In place of barn, there they made a Holiday cottages whereas farmhouse and chickens remains at their place. There were some fields like vegetables, soft fruits, fruit trees which remain untouched by the farm authority.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing an overview and selecting key features of Beechwood farm in 1950 and today. It meets the requirements of a Band 6 and reaches into Band 7 territory by identifying the main trends, such as the addition of commercial and recreational facilities and the conversion of the sheep area. However, some ideas are slightly under-developed or less precise, such as the vague mention that the sheep area 'held most of the space of the farm' and imprecise spatial referencing for relocated buildings. To reach a higher level, the response would benefit from fully extending the comparisons of spatial changes with greater clarity and precision.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to organise information chronologically and topically, moving from an introductory overview to specific spatial transformations. Paragraphing is used, though grouping ideas could be more polished. Cohesive devices are employed, but referencing and transitions are at times mechanical or slightly repetitive, as seen with repeated sentence openings like 'They also'. Paragraph transitions could flow more smoothly to ensure a seamless progression of information throughout the text.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
An adequate range of vocabulary is deployed for the task, successfully incorporating terms relevant to map descriptions such as 'redevelopment', 'converted', and 'untouched'. The writer attempts less common vocabulary items like 'accommodate people', but this is accompanied by some inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing, such as 'an camping field' or 'the barn had been replaced from East corner'. Spelling and word choice are generally clear enough not to impede communication, fitting the middle band profile well.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting relative clauses and participial phrases. However, control over grammar is inconsistent, featuring noticeable errors such as 'The plans illustrates' (subject-verb agreement), 'an camping field' (article misuse), and awkward phrasing like 'wherever farmhouse and chickens remains at their place'. Punctuation and verb tense consistency require more care. These errors are frequent enough to prevent the writing from achieving a higher band, though they rarely impede overall communication.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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