Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-12

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 plan illustrates the site of a farm in 1950 and the present day.

Overall, the beechwood farm has underwent significant development as, the sheep area was replaced by parking areas, a camping field, solar panels, while the track is converted into a road, meanwhile holiday cottages and farm shop were introduced, and the location of a barn is changed.

Looking at the old layout, major area was covered by a sheep in 1950, while a proper track was constructed to visit barn area, farmhouse, fruit trees, soft fruits, vegetables, and more.

In the present day, the former track was converted into proper road, improving access to the surrounding area, although a sheep area is demolished and divided into two parts, one containing parking and camping field while other containing solar panels, and another parking area. Moreover, holiday cottages were established, meanwhile the location of barn is changed and now path is connected to a barn.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the two time periods and report several important changes, including the replacement of the sheep area and the addition of a farm shop, camping field, solar panels and holiday cottages. However, the overview is not fully accurate: the track became a road, but the barn’s position did not change; it remains near the farmhouse, although the access layout changed. The description also omits the continued presence of the fruit, soft-fruit and vegetable areas and gives limited detail about where new features are located. The response is 147 words, below the 150-word minimum, so it does not fully meet the task requirement. Add a more precise overview and a few accurate location comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overall summary, and separate descriptions of the earlier and current layouts. This gives the reader a basic route through the comparison. However, progression within the paragraphs is sometimes unclear, particularly in the long overview sentence, where several changes are joined with commas and “while” and “meanwhile.” The final paragraph also lists features without consistently guiding the reader through their locations. Some linking expressions are repetitive or awkward, such as “Moreover” followed by “meanwhile.” Organise the details by area or by what remained versus what changed, and use clearer references so that “one” and “other” have unmistakable meanings.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant map vocabulary, including “layout,” “replaced,” “converted,” “parking areas,” and “holiday cottages,” so the main changes are generally understandable. There is some range in the language used to describe development, but several choices are imprecise or unnatural for this task. For example, “a proper track was constructed to visit barn area” does not clearly describe access, and “the sheep area is demolished” is an unsuitable collocation for land use. “The location of a barn is changed” also misreports the plan rather than simply being a vocabulary issue. Aim for precise terms such as “access road,” “land was converted to,” and “the barn remained in place,” and avoid vague phrases such as “and more.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “while,” “although,” and “as.” However, errors in verb forms, articles, and sentence construction are frequent enough to make some sentences awkward. For example, “has underwent” should be “has undergone,” and “a sheep” is not appropriate for describing the area; use “the sheep-grazing area.” The overview’s comma after “as” disrupts the sentence, while “one containing … while other containing …” lacks parallel, complete phrasing. There is also a tense inconsistency in “the sheep area is demolished” when describing a change from 1950 to today. Practise accurate past-tense comparisons and divide long sentences into clearer clauses.

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