Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-15

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 5.0)

The maps illustrates the layout of the Beechwood farm in 1950 and how it looks today. Overall, the farm has undergone substancial redevelopment. The wide open area in the north has been changed. The southeast area has many facilities been introduced or replaced.

In 1950, the spacious area at the north was dedicated for sheep grazing. It was bordered by tracks at the south and the west.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response identifies the topic and gives a broad overview that the farm has been redeveloped, then reports one relevant 1950 feature: the northern area was used for sheep. However, it does not describe the present-day layout or explain the main changes, such as the addition of the farm shop, parking, camping field, solar panels and holiday cottages. The claim that the south-east has “many facilities” is too general to substitute for specific comparisons, and the statement about tracks bordering the sheep area is only a small detail. The response is also 83 words below the required minimum, leaving the task substantially incomplete. To improve, cover both maps, select the most important changes, and support the overview with clear location details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic, understandable sequence: an opening description and overview are followed by a paragraph beginning “In 1950”. The contrast between the general overview and the historical detail gives the reader some direction, and the linking phrase “Overall” is appropriate. However, the response ends before developing a comparison or moving to the present-day plan, so there is no clear progression through the key information. The short paragraphs also do not yet organise the map features into meaningful groups. Build a fuller structure by giving an overview, then comparing the western agricultural areas and the eastern facilities, using clear references such as “by contrast” and “today” where they help connect details.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

There is some relevant vocabulary for describing a map, including “layout”, “redevelopment”, “dedicated for sheep grazing” and “bordered by tracks”. These choices show an attempt to use more precise language than basic labels alone. However, the range is limited by the short response, and a few choices are inaccurate or awkward: “substancial” is misspelled, “wide open area” is imprecise, and “the southeast area has many facilities” is vague. “Dedicated for” is also an unnatural collocation in this context. Use accurate map vocabulary and name the facilities rather than grouping them broadly—for example, identify the camping field, solar panels and holiday cottages. Proofreading spelling and collocations would make the description clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response uses a few different sentence forms, including the introductory clause “how it looks today” and the overview sentence beginning “Overall”. Most of the meaning is understandable, and the past-tense description “was dedicated” is appropriate for the 1950 map. There are, however, some noticeable grammatical problems. “The maps illustrates” has a plural subject with a singular verb, while “has many facilities been introduced or replaced” has an incorrect verb construction. The phrase “at the north” is also less suitable than “in the north” for describing an area. Aim for accurate subject–verb agreement and complete verb patterns, such as “many facilities have been introduced”, and include a wider range of correctly controlled sentences as the response is expanded.

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