Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-27
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 plans shows the changes of a farm in 1950 and how it looks today.
Overall, today farm shows many big changes and looks modern while old farm had simple structure. changes of track and road location also sheep area are converted into camping field and parking area.
In 1950, farm shows simple and old structure. right corner of the farm had a big sheep area where different tracks are available. river area running along the side of farm and cross to the main road. fram had a fruit trees, soft fruits and vegetables area. however there had a farmhouse near to the river.
Today,farm shows the beautiful and modern layout . there have a camping area where solar panal are installed. two parking are available and well carpited road are made in farm. however most noticable change are holiday cottages near to farmhouse.
overall, farm shows many significant changes that looks farm more attractive and beautiful.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the broad contrast between the simpler 1950 farm and its more developed present-day use, and you mention several relevant features, including the sheep area, crops, camping, solar panels, parking and holiday cottages. However, the account is only partly developed: important changes are listed rather than clearly compared, and some locations are inaccurate or vague. For example, the sheep area was north of the track, not in the “right corner,” and the farmhouse is not described as being near the river. The overview also calls the farm “modern” and “attractive” without explaining the main structural changes. To strengthen the response, accurately describe how the internal tracks became roads and how the eastern area was developed, while noting which features remained.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, a paragraph about 1950 and one about today. This gives the reader a basic chronological route through the plans. However, progression within the paragraphs is sometimes unclear, and the repeated use of “overall” makes the ending feel repetitive rather than adding a new summary. Linking words such as “however” do not always show a clear contrast, as in “however there had a farmhouse near to the river.” Some references are also vague, including “different tracks” and “there,” so the reader must infer which features are being discussed. Grouping related changes together—for example, access routes and new facilities—would make the comparisons easier to follow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “farmhouse,” “soft fruits,” “camping area,” “solar panels” and “holiday cottages,” so the main subject is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several choices are imprecise or repetitive. “Big changes,” “simple structure” and “beautiful and modern layout” are broad descriptions that do not identify the specific developments shown. There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, such as “panal,” “carpited” and “noticable,” and “farm shows” is repeated where more precise phrasing would help. Aim to use accurate map vocabulary such as “converted,” “replaced,” “retained” and “located,” and describe the changes neutrally rather than relying on subjective terms like “beautiful.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt a few longer sentences, including “Overall, today farm shows many big changes and looks modern while old farm had simple structure,” but grammatical control is inconsistent. Errors in articles, agreement and verb forms occur in basic clauses: “The plans shows,” “today farm shows,” and “there have a camping area.” Sentence boundaries and punctuation are also unreliable, particularly in “Today,farm shows the beautiful and modern layout .” These problems sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to understand. Most sentences follow a simple pattern, with limited accurate use of complex structures. Practise forming clear comparisons with controlled past and present forms—for example, “The farm had a sheep field in 1950, whereas this area is now used for camping”—and check articles and subject–verb agreement.
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