Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 diagrams below show a college cafe before it was renew and what he looks now. Overview, new facilities were add in the cafe like, bin changes into recycle bin and outdoor seating are also included and some of things are remain same like kitchen and toilets.

Before redesign the college cafe consist of a kitchen on the top left corner of the cafe along with serving area all food and drinks. Further more in the upper middle section of the cafe before redesign there are two staff dining room and in the middle there is enough space for table and chairs along this on the lower left corner there is space for toilets.

After redesign the cafe the serving area which is below to the kitchen is replaces into hot meals. Further more the staff dining rooms transformed into take away food and coffee bar. A new thing included in the cafe is the barbecue along with outdoor seating.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important changes, including the conversion of the serving area to hot meals, the replacement of staff dining rooms with takeaway and coffee facilities, and the addition of outdoor seating and a barbecue. You also note that the kitchen and toilets remain. However, the overview is broad and does not clearly summarise the main transformation, and some details are inaccurate: the toilets are in the bottom-right corner, not the lower-left, and the salad bar and recycling bins are omitted. The description of the new outdoor area is also limited. To strengthen the response, give a clearer overview and report the key changes and locations more accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an opening and overview are followed by a description of the original café and then the redesigned one. This gives the reader a basic sense of progression. However, the overview is not clearly separated from the opening, and the repeated use of “Further more” makes the linking mechanical. Some long sentences combine several locations without clear punctuation, such as the sentence describing the original layout, so relationships between details are harder to follow. Use distinct paragraphs for the overview and each plan, and organise details by area or by what changed and stayed the same. More precise linking would make the comparison easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant vocabulary for the plan, including “kitchen,” “serving area,” “staff dining room,” “tables and chairs,” and “outdoor seating,” so the basic meaning is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate, such as “renew,” “what he looks now,” “recycle bin,” and “a new thing included.” These expressions sound unnatural or imprecise in a formal description. Aim for accurate plan vocabulary and collocations, for example “was renovated,” “its current layout,” “recycling bins,” and “a new feature was added.” Vary verbs such as “replaced,” “converted,” and “remained” to describe changes more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, and the reader can usually understand the broad comparison. However, errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction are frequent enough to make some passages difficult to read. For example, “before it was renew” needs a past participle, while “what he looks now” has an unclear pronoun and incorrect structure. “The college cafe consist” also needs past-tense agreement, and “the serving area … is replaces” mixes verb forms. Several ideas are joined into long sentences with weak punctuation. Practise accurate past-tense descriptions and use shorter, complete sentences before adding more complex comparisons.

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