Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-29

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 4.0)

The plans illustrate the differnces between the land of a beechwood farm in the 1950 and today.

overall, in 1950 the most of the area were acquired by the sheep and large barn. But in the current date the map depicts the various developments over the sheep land and the shifting of the barn building into the samller space right beside the chickens and farmhouse

Now today we have seen the parking area has been des

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response identifies that the plans compare the farm in 1950 with today and attempts an overview of change, mentioning sheep, the barn, parking and development. However, it reports very few of the main features and does not accurately describe the layout: the 1950 plan shows sheep in an open area, while the barn is a separate building, not a large area occupied by sheep and a barn. The claim that the barn has shifted beside the farmhouse and chickens is also unsupported; today it remains near the road junction, southwest of the farmhouse. The response ends mid-sentence and omits key changes such as the farm shop, camping field, solar panels and holiday cottages. It is also 74 words below the required minimum, leaving the task only minimally addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening identifies the comparison, followed by an overview beginning with “overall,” and then a further sentence about today. This gives the reader some indication of the intended progression. However, the response is extremely brief, and the final sentence stops at “has been des,” so the ideas do not develop into a complete account. Connections between the points are also unclear: the overview combines sheep, the barn and later development without explaining how these features relate spatially. To improve, use separate paragraphs for the overview and the main changes, and connect each comparison explicitly, for example by contrasting the former sheep area with the new facilities.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some task-relevant vocabulary, including “plans,” “area,” “parking area,” “sheep,” “barn” and “farmhouse,” so the basic subject is recognisable. There is also an attempt to describe change with “developments” and “shifting.” However, the range is limited, and several choices are inaccurate or awkward: “the land of a beechwood farm,” “acquired by the sheep,” and “in the current date” do not express the intended map information naturally. Spelling errors such as “differnces” and “samller” are noticeable, and the unfinished “des” leaves the final idea unclear. Build a wider set of precise location and change terms, such as “was replaced by,” “to the northeast of,” and “was converted into.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts both a comparison sentence and a longer overview sentence, and the basic meaning of the opening is understandable. However, grammatical control is inconsistent. In “in the 1950 the most of the area were acquired,” the article and plural construction are faulty, and “area” does not agree with “were.” “In the current date” is also an incorrect grammatical construction, while “the map depicts … and the shifting” does not form a balanced sentence. The final sentence is incomplete, so its intended structure cannot be followed. Most sentences rely on simple patterns, with little accurate variety. Practise forming clear past-versus-present comparisons, checking subject–verb agreement and articles, and completing each sentence before moving to the next point.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.