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 maps compare the appearance of a beechwood farm in 1950 and the same farm site today.
Overall, the the beechwood fram has undergone a considerable amount of development, some sites has been replaced, renovated and some additional things has been constructed. The most prominent changes are the track has been replaced by a road and the construction that has been done on the right side of road, including solor system, camping fields and parking.
On the right side of road, two parkings has been constructed, solar panel syatem and camping fields for providing shelter.
On the river side of the beechwood farm several chamges has been done, the farm shop is constructed in the fruit trees and the most prominent change on river side is the barn that has been replaced and shrinked at the sharp edge of the road. The holiday cottages are constructed at the place where the barn was in 1950.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
You identify the overall development of the farm and report several relevant changes, including the new road, parking, solar panels, camping area, farm shop and holiday cottages. The comparison that cottages occupy the former barn area is a useful specific detail. However, some locations and changes are unclear or inaccurate: the farm shop is between the fruit trees and the internal road, rather than simply “in the fruit trees,” and the barn has not been replaced by cottages; the present plan still shows a barn, while the cottages are near the former barn area. The overview also says some sites were “renovated” without explaining which. To make the account more complete, describe the retained fields and buildings and distinguish clearly between the barn’s current position and the cottages’ location.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and paragraphs describing changes in different parts of the site. This gives the reader a basic route through the comparison. However, progression is not consistently clear. The second and final body paragraphs both begin with a broad location phrase, and the repeated focus on the “right side” and “river side” does not always make the map positions easy to follow. Linking is also limited, so several changes are listed rather than grouped into a clear comparison of what was retained, removed or added. Use more precise spatial references and organise the details into logical groups—for example, the western fields and shop, then the eastern facilities and buildings. This would strengthen the overall flow and make relationships between features clearer.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some relevant map vocabulary, including “constructed,” “replaced,” “parking” and “holiday cottages,” and you attempt to describe the scale of change with “considerable amount of development.” However, word choice and spelling errors are noticeable and sometimes make the description less precise. Examples include “solor system” and “solar panel syatem” for solar panels, “parkings” for parking areas, and “shrinked” for became smaller. Phrases such as “some additional things” and “sharp edge of the road” are vague or unnatural for a map report. Aim for accurate, specific nouns and natural collocations, such as “facilities were added” and “at the junction.” Check spelling carefully and avoid repeating the same general terms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple statements and more developed sentences, including the overview sentence beginning “Overall” and the clause describing cottages at the former barn location. However, errors in agreement, articles and sentence construction are frequent enough to make some relationships difficult to follow. For example, “some sites has been replaced” should use a plural verb, while “two parkings has been constructed” has both an unsuitable plural form and incorrect agreement. The phrase “the track has been replaced by a road and the construction that has been done” also creates an awkward, incomplete comparison. There is a repeated article in “the the beechwood fram.” Practise accurate past and present passive forms for map changes, and check subject–verb agreement and sentence boundaries when combining ideas.
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