Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
THE LAYOUT COMPARES THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE BEECHWOOD FARM IN 1950 AND THE PRESENT DAY.
OVERALL, THERE IS MAJOR CHANGE IN SHEEP AREA BY REPLACING IT WITH PARKING AREAS, CAMPMING FEILDS AND SMALL PORTION WAS ALLOCATED TO SOLAR PANELS. THE TRACK IS NOW CONVERTED INTO ROAD AND HOLIDAY COTTAGES, FARM SHOPS ARE OPENED UP.
ON ONE HAND,THE LAND FOR SHEEP IS MODIFIED INTO CAMPING FEILD WITH THE PLANTATION OF TREES AND INSTALLATION OF CAMPS. IN ADDITION TO THAT PARKING AREAS ARE INTRODUCED AT THE WEST AND EAST OF THE FEILD. SOLAR PANELS ARE ALSO INSTALLED AT THE NORTH-EAST OF THE CAMPING AREA.
ON THE OTHER HAND, BARN HAS BEEN RECONSTRUCTED INTO HOLIDAY COTTAGES AND SHIFTED TO THE WEST OF THE FARMHOUSE NOW HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO ROAD. IN ADDITION TO THAT, A FARM SHOP IS OPENED UP ALONG THE ROAD IN THE FRUIT TREES AREA.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the broad change from sheep grazing to visitor-related uses, and you mention the camping field, parking, solar panels, farm shop and cottages. However, the overview and comparisons are incomplete: the fruit, soft-fruit and vegetable plots largely remain, while the farmhouse and chicken enclosure are also retained. The barn has not been reconstructed into cottages; the cottages occupy the area south of the eastern road, while the barn remains, relocated to the south-west of the farmhouse. The claim that parking is west and east of the camping field is also imprecise. The response is five words below the required minimum. To strengthen the summary, cover both retained and changed features accurately and add the missing key details.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and two body paragraphs organised around changes to the western and eastern parts of the farm. This gives the reader a basic progression, and phrases such as “On one hand” and “On the other hand” signal contrast. However, the organisation is not always supported by clear relationships between details. For example, the second paragraph groups parking, solar panels and the camping field without clearly locating each in relation to the roads, while the final paragraph combines the barn, cottages and farmhouse in a confusing comparison. Some linking phrases feel mechanical. Use a clearer west-to-east or feature-by-feature sequence, and connect each change explicitly to its original position.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant map vocabulary, including “infrastructure,” “plantation,” “installation,” “direct access” and “north-east,” and the reader can generally identify the features being described. However, the range is limited and several word choices or spellings reduce precision. “Cammping feild” and “farm shops are opened up” are inaccurate or awkward, while “small portion was allocated” is vague for describing the solar-panel area. “Reconstructed into” does not accurately describe the barn’s change of location, and “camps” is less precise than “tents” for the symbols shown. Aim for accurate map-specific terms and natural collocations, and check spelling carefully; this will make the description clearer and more controlled.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer sentences, including “In addition to that…” constructions, but control is uneven. Errors in sentence structure and verb forms are evident in “THE TRACK IS NOW CONVERTED INTO ROAD” and “BARN HAS BEEN RECONSTRUCTED INTO HOLIDAY COTTAGES AND SHIFTED…,” where the relationships between actions and subjects are unclear. Articles and agreement also need attention: “a major change” and “a farm shop” require articles, while “farm shops are opened up” does not fit the singular feature shown. Punctuation is inconsistent, particularly the missing spaces after commas and the use of all capitals. Practise complete, clearly structured sentences and accurate passive forms, such as “The track has been replaced by a road.”
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