Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-08

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 diagrams illustrate the two different plans for the Beechwood Farm, the first being over 70 years old and the second being the latest. Even though, some of it remains the same we can see significant changes made in the farm. Fruit trees, Soft fruits, Vegetables, Chickens andf Farmhouse remain in their original spots. The farm is still surrounded by a river on side but, the track surrounding the other side has been developed into a road. On the other side of the road, 2 parking areas with a camping field and solar panels can be seen instead of sheeps that were planned in 1950. Notably, holiday cottages, farm shop and barns are some additional features that have been added in the latest plan. Overall, the basic outline of the Beechwood Farm remains the same with many additional developments and therefore, now the farm has more facilities than those pplanned in 1950.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall change: the farm retains some original features while gaining facilities such as parking, camping, solar panels, a shop and holiday cottages. You also note that the river remains and that the former track has become a road, giving a relevant comparison between the plans. However, several details are inaccurate or unclear: the sheep area is described as being replaced by parking, camping and solar panels, although these occupy different parts of the site; the two parking areas are not both simply “on the other side of the road”; and “barns” suggests multiple new barns, whereas the plan shows one barn that remains in a changed position. Develop the overview with the main changes to the layout and describe key locations more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable sequence: it introduces the plans, lists features that remain, describes additions and ends with an overall statement. This gives the reader a basic sense of the comparison. However, the information is compressed into one paragraph, and several ideas are joined in ways that make relationships unclear. For example, “On the other side of the road” does not clearly identify which side or connect the parking, camping and solar panels to their positions. The opening “Even though” is also left without a clear grammatical continuation. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and the main comparisons, and organise details by area of the farm. More precise linking and referencing would make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a site plan, including “surrounded,” “developed into a road,” “additional features” and “facilities.” These choices communicate the broad changes, but the range is limited and some wording is imprecise or unnatural. “The first being over 70 years old” is an awkward way to refer to the earlier plan, while “the latest” is vague; “the 1950 plan” and “the present-day layout” would be clearer. “Sheeps” is an incorrect plural, and “barns” inaccurately implies more than one. There are also spelling slips such as “andf” and “pplanned.” Aim for accurate map vocabulary and check spelling, while varying verbs such as “remain,” “be converted” and “be added.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex forms, including “Even though…” and the concluding sentence beginning “Overall,” and the main message is generally understandable. Some errors remain in sentence construction and punctuation. “Even though, some of it remains the same we can see…” needs a comma after the introductory clause and should not place a comma after “though.” In “Fruit trees, Soft fruits, Vegetables, Chickens andf Farmhouse remain,” the list needs consistent articles or a clearer subject construction. The sentence beginning “The farm is still surrounded…” also has awkward comma placement around “but.” Use a wider range of accurately controlled comparison structures, and proofread sentence boundaries, articles and punctuation to make the relationships between ideas clearer.

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