Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-18

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 diagrams depicts site of farm in 1950 and the same site today.

Overall, the farm in 1950 had less facilities as compared to the farm site today with major changes of roads and shops.

Firstly, In 1950 there is track near the local shops along with the river. Also there is no parking in this area. The number of shops is quiet less with deficient facilities. The farmhouse is at larger distance from the fruit and vegetables shops that make the process hassle to go and get fruits or vegetables from there. Additionally, there is no technology facility for people living in farm site.

Subsequently, in today's farm site the track has been replaced with proper road for transport. The number of shops varied including cottages, technology like solar panels and also camping field for different animals. There is barn located at the corner of road along the riverside. Furthermore, a farm shop is located besides the farm fruit to get fresh farm fruit from it. So these major differences are occured in today farm site as compared to 1950 site.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad change from a less developed farm to a site with more facilities, and mention several relevant features, including the road, farm shop, solar panels, camping field and cottages. However, the comparison is only partly accurate and developed. In 1950, the site had a farmhouse, barn, chicken enclosure and three productive areas; it did not have “local shops” or “fruit and vegetables shops.” The present-day map shows holiday cottages, not simply cottages, and the camping field is for visitors rather than “different animals.” Your overview would be stronger if it clearly summarised the main land-use changes, while the body accurately compared the locations and retained features such as the river, farmhouse and chickens. The response meets the task length requirement; eight words copied from the prompt were excluded from the count.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overall statement, and two paragraphs comparing 1950 with today. Sequencing phrases such as “Firstly” and “Subsequently” help signal the shift between the two maps. However, progression within the paragraphs is sometimes unclear because several points are loosely connected or not grounded in the plans, such as the claim that the farmhouse is far from “shops.” The repeated use of “Also,” “Additionally,” and “Furthermore” makes cohesion somewhat mechanical, and “these major differences” does not clearly refer back to a precise set of changes. Group features by area or by change—for example, access and facilities, then agricultural land and buildings—and use clearer references to connect comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant map vocabulary, including “river,” “farmhouse,” “solar panels,” “camping field” and “replaced,” so the reader can follow the general topic. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing a site plan. “Local shops” and “fruit and vegetables shops” misidentify the 1950 land use, while “technology facility” is vague and “different animals” does not describe the purpose of the camping field. Phrases such as “the number of shops varied” also do not express the changes clearly. Aim for precise terms such as “agricultural plots,” “visitor facilities” and “access road,” and use location language to describe where features are situated. Check spelling and word forms, including “quite” rather than “quiet.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, including a comparison with “as compared to” and a relative clause in “that make the process hassle.” However, errors in agreement, articles and verb forms occur often enough to make some sentences awkward. For example, “The diagrams depicts” should be “The diagrams depict,” and “the farm in 1950 had less facilities” needs “fewer facilities.” In “the process hassle to go and get,” the clause is not grammatically complete; a clearer form would be “making it inconvenient to obtain produce.” Tense also shifts between “there is” and past-time descriptions of 1950. Use past tense consistently for the earlier plan and present tense for today, and check subject–verb agreement and sentence boundaries.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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