Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-16

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 4.0)

It is beechwood farm at bank of river in this is 1950 pic or today picture . there is big differ in it . threr was sheep area in coner of it now it was divide in three part one is for solar panels campings field or parking it . the was track but now it build raod in it

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the farm’s river setting and attempt to compare the 1950 plan with today, mentioning sheep, solar panels, camping and parking, as well as the change from a track to a road. These are relevant features, but the comparison is very limited and some details are unclear: the sheep area is not described as being divided into three parts, and the response does not explain the main changes to the farm buildings or fields. There is no clear overview of how the site has developed. The response is also 90 words below the required minimum, leaving too little space to select and report the key features. Develop a concise overview and compare several accurate changes in location and land use.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

The response makes a basic attempt to move from the 1950 plan to the present, using “but now” to signal a change. However, the ideas are compressed into one short, loosely connected sequence, so the reader cannot easily distinguish the two time periods or follow a clear comparison. The opening sentence is difficult to interpret, and the later references to “three part” and “it” are not clearly linked to specific areas on the plan. Organise the report into a brief introduction, an overview, and one or two paragraphs comparing the main changes. Use clear time markers such as “In 1950” and “Today,” and make each reference explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use a few relevant words from the map, including “sheep,” “solar panels,” “camping field,” “parking,” and “river,” which shows some task-specific vocabulary. However, the range is narrow, and several spelling or word-choice problems make the description less clear, such as “coner,” “threr,” and “campings field.” The phrase “big differ” is also too informal and imprecise for an academic report. Build a wider set of accurate terms for describing maps, including “area,” “facility,” “was replaced by,” and “was converted into.” Check spelling carefully and choose precise nouns and verbs so that each feature and change is easy to identify.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0

The response attempts to form connected sentences and uses a contrast with “but,” but grammatical control is limited. For example, “It is beechwood farm at bank of river in this is 1950 pic or today picture” combines ideas without a clear sentence structure, while “there was sheep area” lacks an appropriate article and has an awkward noun phrase. The tense also shifts confusingly between “was,” “now it was,” and “it build.” Use the past simple for the 1950 plan and the present simple for today, with clear subject–verb patterns. Short, accurate sentences such as “In 1950, the site had a sheep area” would make the comparison easier to understand.

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