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 map shows the development that have taken place in Beechwood Farm fron 1950 till today.

It is clear that Beechwood Farm underwent a dramatic transformation over the period, becoming more green after a built up.

To commence, the places that remains the same are fruit trees, soft fruits, vegetables, farmhouse and chickens. The sheep area is now replaced by the camping field in the middle and solar pannels in the East, followed by the parking on the both sides of sheep area. Secondly, The track is trasformed into the road, making a junction with barn, while the old barn is replaced by the holiday cottages near the road. Furthermore, there is also a river surrounding the whole farm which remains unchanged and follow the same path. One further development is the construction of farm shopnear the fruit trees

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the maps as a comparison over time and include several important changes, such as the new camping field, solar panels, parking, farm shop, and holiday cottages. You also note that the farmhouse, chickens, and productive plots remain. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the river runs along the south-western and southern edges, rather than “surrounding the whole farm”; the sheep area is replaced by both the camping field and solar panels only in a broad sense, as these occupy separate parts of the site; and the original barn is not replaced but remains, relocated to the south-west of the farmhouse. The overview is also vague (“more green after a built up”). The response is 11 words below the required minimum, and several features need clearer comparison and development.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic overall sequence: an introduction, a general statement, and a paragraph describing what stayed the same and what changed. Linking expressions such as “To commence,” “Secondly,” and “Furthermore” help signal the list of points. However, the body reads mainly as a series of connected observations rather than a clearly organised comparison, and the progression between locations is sometimes difficult to follow. For example, the sentence about the sheep area, camping field, solar panels, and parking combines several spatial relationships without making them precise. The final farm-shop point is added abruptly. Grouping unchanged features together and then describing new developments by area would create a clearer progression; use fewer formulaic transitions and make references such as “the old barn” unambiguous.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant map vocabulary, including “junction,” “replaced,” “construction,” and “underwent a dramatic transformation,” which gives you a workable range for describing change. Some choices, however, are imprecise or unnatural: “more green after a built up” does not clearly express the site’s development, and “parking on the both sides of sheep area” is difficult to interpret. There are also spelling and spacing errors, including “fron,” “pannels,” “trasformed,” and “shopnear.” These do not prevent the reader from understanding the main message, but they reduce accuracy and polish. Aim for precise location phrases and standard map collocations, such as “to the east of” and “a car park was added,” and proofread compound words and spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex forms, including the opening relative clause and the sentence beginning “while,” so there is some structural variety. Meaning is generally recoverable, but several grammatical errors remain. In “the development that have taken place,” the verb should agree with the singular noun (“has taken place”); “the places that remains” also needs plural agreement (“places that remain”). The phrase “on the both sides” has an incorrect article pattern, and “which remains unchanged and follow the same path” has inconsistent agreement. The overview, “becoming more green after a built up,” is also grammatically incomplete or unclear. Check subject–verb agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries, while retaining your attempts at complex sentences.

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