Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-14

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 6.5)

The map displays the site of a beechwood farm in 1950 and the same site today.

Overall, it is evident that Beechwood Farm is more developed today compared to the past. Sheep were eradicated, and solar panels and a camping field were built.

To begin with, in 1950, a road was present in the upper left, and sheep were in the upper right corner. Behind the road, fruit trees, soft fruits, and vegetables were present. There was also a farmhouse in the southwest, surrounded by chickens. Also, a barn was available near the farmhouse. There was a river that flowed from the upper left side to the southwest near the barn. Tracks were also available in the middle of the Beechwood farm.

Furthermore, at present, solar panels, a camping field, and parking were built in place of sheep. By replacing the tracks, roads were constructed, and a barn was connected to the roads. Moreover, behind the fruit trees, a farm shop was built. Holiday cottages were constructed by replacing the barn. The parking area was built near the camping field.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main change—that the farm is more developed—and mention several new features, including the camping field, solar panels, farm shop and cottages. The response also compares the two periods, but some details are inaccurate or unclear: sheep were not in the “upper right corner” in 1950, and the farmhouse was not in the southwest or surrounded by chickens; the chicken enclosure was south of it. The river’s course and the locations of the original plots are also described imprecisely. The overview is relevant, but it would be stronger if it summarised the broader conversion of tracks and farm buildings into visitor facilities while noting which agricultural areas remained. Some features are reported, but others need more accurate positioning and development.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and separate descriptions of the earlier and current layouts. Time markers such as “in 1950” and “at present,” together with “Furthermore” and “Moreover,” help the reader follow the comparison. However, the progression within the paragraphs is sometimes loose: the 1950 description moves between the road, fields, buildings and river without a consistent route around the map. “Behind the road” and “behind the fruit trees” are also unclear references, making the spatial relationships harder to follow. The repeated use of “There was” and “were also available” makes the account somewhat mechanical. Grouping features by area and using clearer location links would make the organisation more precise and cohesive.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for describing a map, including “surrounded,” “constructed,” “replacing,” and “connected.” These choices allow you to communicate the main changes, and the meaning is generally clear. However, some expressions are imprecise or unnatural for this task: “sheep were eradicated” suggests deliberate elimination, while “parking were built” and “a barn was available” are not natural descriptions of map features. “Behind” is also too vague for describing locations, and “road” is used where the original layout is described as tracks. Aim for precise map language such as “located,” “converted into,” “remained,” and “a parking area was added.” More accurate collocations and distinctions between roads and tracks would improve flexibility and precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple sentences and some more developed structures, including the overview sentence with “compared to” and the clause “By replacing the tracks, roads were constructed.” Most sentences are understandable, and errors do not generally prevent the reader from following the account. Some grammatical choices are less controlled, however. In “parking were built,” the subject and verb do not agree; “a farmhouse in the southwest, surrounded by chickens” also attaches the participle in a way that changes the intended relationship. The passive forms are repeated, and the opening “The map displays” shifts into past-tense descriptions without a fully consistent pattern. Use accurate agreement and vary sentence structures, while keeping past forms for 1950 and present forms for the current plan.

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