Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-10

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The plans below show a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The plans below show a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The plans illustrat a college cafe before when it was not modified and than after its modification .

Overall cafe surface area is same but small modification is done some new inventions take place after redesign the cafe before was having not much facilites .The cafe today is more facilitated.

The college cafe before when it was not redesign was having a simple seating area near the kitchen where the food and drinks were served . There were two staff dining rooms further a simple bin and Toilets near it .

After redesigning the cafe Hot meals were there near the kitchen and the staff dining rooms are now using for Take away and Coffee bar simple bins are now replaced with Recycling bins . in the middle of the cafe some Tables and chairs are keeped now for sitting salad bar is also now in cafe after redesigning Barbecue is now avalible in cafe with outdoor seating .

In conclusion, many new things are in cafe before redesigning cafe was not having too much facilites but now cafe is totally modified .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main change clearly: the café has been redesigned with new food facilities and outdoor seating, while the central tables and toilets remain. You also report several accurate comparisons, including the staff dining rooms becoming a takeaway area and coffee bar, and the bin being replaced by recycling bins. This covers the task’s main features. However, some important details are only briefly mentioned or unclear: the salad bar is on the western wall, and the barbecue is outside beside the new outdoor seating, which has four tables. The statement that the café is “more facilitated” is general rather than a precise overview. A clearer summary of what stayed the same and the major additions would make the report more complete and specific.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, descriptions of the café before and after, and a concluding sentence. The sequence from the original layout to the redesigned one is generally easy to follow, and phrases such as “Overall” and “After redesigning” help signal the stages. However, the overview and conclusion repeat the broad idea that the café has changed without adding much, while several details are crowded into one long sentence. For example, the sentence beginning “After redesigning the cafe” moves from hot meals to the former staff rooms, bins, seating, salad bar, barbecue and outdoor seating with limited punctuation. Grouping indoor changes together and then describing the outdoor additions would create clearer progression and more effective cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing a plan, including “staff dining rooms,” “recycling bins,” “salad bar” and “outdoor seating.” These terms help communicate several key features. However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate or repetitive, which can make the description less precise. “More facilitated” is not a natural way to describe the redesigned café, and “new inventions” does not accurately convey new facilities. There are also noticeable spelling errors, such as “illustrat,” “avalible” and “facilites.” Use precise terms for changes and locations, and check spelling carefully; this would make the report clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, and the reader can generally understand the comparison between the two plans. However, some errors in sentence structure, verb forms, articles and punctuation reduce accuracy. For example, “The plans illustrat a college cafe before when it was not modified and than after its modification” is difficult to follow, and “the staff dining rooms are now using for Take away and Coffee bar” has an incorrect passive construction. Several sentences also run together without clear punctuation, particularly the long description beginning “After redesigning the cafe.” Aim for controlled comparisons such as “The former staff dining rooms have been converted into a takeaway area and a coffee bar,” and separate each main change into a complete sentence.

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.