Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-21

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 depicts the site of a farm in 1950 and and the similar site today.

There are many changes in previous farm site and new one. A significant difference in a farm is the replacement of road with the track. And in 1950 where sheep were kept is now occupied by many new placements.

In past, there was a track in the middle of the site and sheep in the top right corner while at below crossing from the track we visualized the barn and farmhouse next to it then reached to chickens which was situated near to the river. Furthermore, from that moved left, you found the fields of vegetables, soft fruits, and trees where fruits were grew, on the left side of all these water floated.

In contrast, we noticed that in second diagram there are roads instead of track and addition of farm shop on the right side of fruit trees. Additionally, todays there are two parking areas available for transportation and barn is also replaced by the holiday cottages especially for weekend. However, if we make more comparison then we see a substantial change that in first plan, there was a space which is more than enough available just for sheep but now that large area is consumed by four different sectors which includes solar panels and parking in a single section, and others two in which one is again parking and second one is camping field. while all others remain constant.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the two plans and report several relevant changes, including the farm shop, two parking areas, camping, solar panels and holiday cottages. You also attempt an overview by contrasting the former sheep area with its current uses. However, some key details are inaccurate or unclear: the track was not replaced by a road throughout the site, and the barn remains rather than being replaced by cottages. The farmhouse and chicken enclosure also remain, while the fruit, soft-fruit and vegetable areas are largely retained. The description of the 1950 layout is difficult to follow, and the overview does not clearly summarise the main pattern of change. A more accurate comparison of what stayed and what changed would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, an overview-like statement, a description of the earlier plan and a comparison with today. This gives the reader some sense of the task’s progression. However, the sequence within paragraphs is often hard to follow. Phrases such as “from that moved left” and “at below crossing from the track” do not clearly identify locations, while “while all others remain constant” is an abrupt ending and does not specify which features are unchanged. Linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “In contrast,” and “Additionally” are present, but they sometimes connect ideas mechanically rather than clarify their relationship. Group the information by area or by unchanged and changed features, and use precise references to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing maps, including “replacement,” “occupied,” “addition,” “substantial change,” and “sectors.” These attempts show a range beyond very basic labels. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes makes the meaning difficult to interpret: “new placements,” “water floated,” “fruits were grew,” and “barn is also replaced by the holiday cottages.” “Transportation” is also an imprecise description of the parking areas. Repetition of “site,” “track,” and “area” limits variety, and some phrases are too conversational, such as “you found.” Use standard map-description language and choose verbs that accurately express location and change, such as “is situated,” “was converted into,” and “remains.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including clauses introduced by “while,” “which,” and “if,” but complex structures are often faulty and errors occur frequently. Examples include the duplicated conjunction in “in 1950 and and,” the incorrect construction “where fruits were grew,” and the tense and agreement problems in “todays there are” and “others two.” Articles and prepositions are also unreliable, as in “in a farm” and “at below crossing from the track.” These errors sometimes make relationships between features unclear. Sentence boundaries and punctuation need attention too, particularly in the long final sentence, where “while” begins a new thought after a full stop. Practise accurate past-versus-present forms and build longer sentences from simpler, controlled clauses.

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