Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-19

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 illustrated plan shows a farm site from year 1950 and same site today. Major changes have been made since 1950 as of now there is a camping field with a small area dedicated for parking and solar pannels installed, before that the entire area was allocated for sheeps. In 1950 there was just a walking track for people to move across farm but now a proper road channel is installed. On right side fruit trees, soft fruits and vegetables are present as it was in 1950 but there is a new addition of farm shop which is not seen in old plan. One one side of track there was a barn with farmhouse and chickens which is now changed as barn is now shifted to another side opposite to road junction and on its place holiday cottages are constructed. Farm house and chickens are still at their old positions. Significant changes have been made as Beechwood farm is not just a simple farm anymore rather it has transformed into a tourist spot for people who prefer to spend their holidays in away from crowded cities and want to experience a quite peaceful life of farms.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main transformation from a working farm to a site with visitor facilities, and you compare several features across the two plans. The continued presence of the fruit, soft-fruit and vegetable areas, and the changes involving the barn, farmhouse and chickens, are relevant details. The overview is also clear in recognising the move towards tourism. However, some points are inaccurate or imprecise: the sheep area was not the entire farm in 1950, and the farmhouse and chickens remain in broadly the same locations, while the barn is relocated rather than simply moved to the opposite side of a road junction. The claim that the farm is now a tourist spot is a reasonable inference, but the final explanation about visitors’ preferences is not shown by the plans. More precise coverage of the camping field, solar panels, parking and cottages would strengthen the summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a recognisable overall sequence: it introduces the change, compares land use and buildings, and ends with a general conclusion. However, it is presented as one long paragraph, so the reader has little visual guidance through the overview and supporting details. Connections between ideas are sometimes awkward or unclear, particularly “as of now there is…” and “One one side of track,” while “before that” does not clearly identify which area it refers to. The repeated use of “but now” and “which is now” also makes the progression feel mechanical. Organise the response into a short overview followed by grouped comparisons—for example, fields and new facilities, then buildings—and use clear references such as “the eastern section” or “the former barn site.”

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for describing the plans, including “allocated,” “installed,” “addition” and “transformed,” and the main comparisons are generally understandable. There are also some imprecise or unnatural choices that limit flexibility: “walking track for people to move across farm” is not a natural way to describe the former track, and “on its place” is an awkward expression for the cottages’ location. “Tourist spot” and “quite peaceful life of farms” are conversational and go beyond the neutral style expected in a map summary. Spelling errors such as “pannels” and “sheeps” are noticeable, though the intended meanings remain clear. Aim for precise map vocabulary and natural collocations, such as “access track,” “was replaced by,” and “visitor facilities,” while avoiding unsupported descriptive language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “but” and a relative clause in “which is not seen in old plan.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but some grammatical errors recur. Articles are missing in phrases such as “from year 1950,” “same site” and “in old plan”; “sheeps” also uses an incorrect plural form. The opening sentence has an awkward structure, and “Farm house and chickens are still at their old positions” has a number mismatch between the singular farmhouse and plural chickens. The final sentence is long and difficult to control, especially “spend their holidays in away from crowded cities.” Use shorter, clearly structured sentences and check articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries; this would make your comparisons more accurate and easier to follow.

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