Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-04

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 diagram illustrates the site of Beechwood Farm in 1950 and recent picture.

Overall, the sheep site has been replaced with parking area, camping field, and solar pannels and the road has been made on tracks. Here an additional area is seen which is farm shop in lower side of farm.

It can be clearly seen that The tracks become roads in new picture also sheep field is engaged now with camping , parking and solar pannels area also there has been made 2 parking areas on upper side of field. However, the lower side of field has been divided four main categories which are still same but some changes have occured which are additional farm shop and Barn side is replaced that linked to 2 roads whereas previous barn side is replaced by holiday cottages which is new in today's farm image. Hence significant changes can be seen in Beechwood farm in 1950 and today's picture.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main transformation from a sheep area to new uses, including camping, parking and solar panels, and note that the fruit, soft-fruit and vegetable plots remain. You also mention the farm shop and holiday cottages, so the response addresses the key comparison. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the shop is described as being on the “lower side,” and the account suggests the barn was replaced by cottages, although the barn remains and the cottages are south of the eastern road. The overview would be stronger if it clearly grouped what stayed the same and what changed, and if it accurately described the road network and the relocation or retention of buildings. Some selected features are therefore less fully explained than others.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has an overall sequence: an introduction, a brief overview, and a longer comparison of the two plans. This gives the reader a basic sense of the changes. However, the progression within the final paragraph is difficult to follow because several comparisons are joined into one long sentence, such as “the lower side of field has been divided four main categories…” followed by the barn and cottages details. Linking words such as “also,” “however” and “hence” are used, but some connections are unclear or repetitive. Organise the details into clearer groups—for example, changes in the northern area, then the retained fields and buildings—and use references such as “the eastern section” consistently to make relationships easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant map vocabulary, including “parking area,” “camping field,” “solar panels,” “farm shop” and “holiday cottages,” which helps convey the main changes. There is also some attempt to vary wording with “replaced,” “divided” and “additional.” However, several choices are imprecise or awkward, including “sheep site,” “road has been made on tracks” and “Barn side is replaced.” Spelling errors such as “pannels” and “occured” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise location and change language, such as “the former sheep field,” “tracks were converted into roads,” and “the barn remains in its original position.” This would make the description more natural and exact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast introduced by “However” and a relative clause in “which is new in today’s farm image.” Meaning is generally recoverable, but grammatical errors occur across the response. Examples include “in 1950 and recent picture,” which needs a clearer article and comparison structure, and “the lower side of field has been divided four main categories,” which is missing grammatical elements and a suitable preposition. Tense and sentence boundaries also need attention: “the tracks become roads” should describe a completed change, while the long final sentence contains several ideas without clear punctuation. Practise accurate past-to-present comparisons and divide complex information into shorter, controlled sentences.

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