Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 given images compares a site of farm in 1950 with its current layout.

It is clear from the images that there were some major changes in the farm like, area for sheep is divided into some other areas.

Turning towards the detailed overview of the farm there are some minor changes in it. There is an addition of farm shop at the entrance of farm. Muddy track is also covered with concrete and labled as a road. At the south east corner of the farm there was a barn which is now converted into holiday cottages.

Now turning towards th emajor changes which take place in the farm are the addition of two parking spaces, one at entrance of farm and second at the end of farm just in front of holiday cottages. There is also a huge place which is spcially designed for camping. A huge number of solar plates are installed just beind the second parking area.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several genuine changes, including the farm shop, the two parking areas, camping, solar panels and the road replacing the track. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: the sheep area is not divided into other areas, and the former barn has not become holiday cottages. The cottages are south of the eastbound road, while the barn remains on the site in a different position. The response also omits important changes such as the farmhouse and chicken enclosure remaining, and the continued presence of the fruit, soft-fruit and vegetable areas. To strengthen the report, give a clear overall summary of how the farm has diversified, then describe the main changes and what has stayed the same using accurate locations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable progression: it introduces the comparison, gives a general comment, and then describes individual changes. Phrases such as “Turning towards” and “Now turning towards” help signal movement between points, and the ideas are generally understandable. However, these transitions are somewhat mechanical, and the division into “minor” and “major” changes is not consistently useful: the farm shop and road are introduced as minor, while the later paragraph lists additions without a clear spatial order. Some references, such as “at the end of farm,” are also imprecise. Organise the details by area—for example, the entrance and western fields, then the northern and eastern facilities—and use a concise overview rather than repeated signposting.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a site plan, including “entrance,” “parking spaces,” “camping,” and “holiday cottages,” so the main changes can be understood. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural. “Huge place” is vague, “solar plates” is not the appropriate term for the panels shown, and “Muddy track” adds a detail not provided by the maps. There are also spelling errors such as “labled,” “spcially,” and “beind,” which reduce control. Aim for precise map vocabulary and avoid adding unsupported descriptions. Terms such as “designated camping field,” “solar panels,” and “internal road” would make the account clearer and more appropriate to an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple statements and longer constructions, and the reader can generally follow the comparison. However, errors occur in basic sentence patterns and agreement, as in “The given images compares” and “There is an addition … at the entrance of farm.” The phrase “At the south east corner … there was a barn which is now converted” also has an unclear tense relationship and incorrectly describes the map change. Some sentences are joined awkwardly, particularly “There is also a huge place … A huge number …,” and punctuation around “like” is not controlled. Practise accurate present and past forms for map comparisons, articles and subject–verb agreement, while using a few well-controlled complex sentences to explain locations and changes.

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