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 given maps illustrate the college cafe before it was redesigned and its new look after some changes.

overall,the outside seating is construct for barbecue setup.staff dining rooms is replaced by coffee bar and take-away food, and a salad bar is builds and the area of tables and chairs is decreased.

one the one hand,cafe before redesigned was look like this as the kitchen was on the top with the bottom to the serving area of all food and drinks.after this the big hall was with the upper side staff dining rooms and on the bottom of right side with a bin and after it toilets are there and rest of hall was filled with tables and chairs.

after redesigned,the kitchen and the serving area remain in the same position and staff dining rooms are replaced with coffee bar and food session while the salad bar also build in the hall and bin is increased and toilet remains same.the sitting area is decline and in the outside the setup of barbecue and outside sitting setup is introduced

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main transformation: the former staff dining rooms become takeaway and coffee facilities, a salad bar is added, and outdoor seating with a barbecue is introduced. You also note that the kitchen and toilets remain in place, giving the response a relevant overview and covering both plans. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate. The serving counter is relabelled for hot meals; it does not remain unchanged as you state. The bin becomes recycling bins, rather than being “increased,” and the response does not clearly report the new doors to the outdoor area or the four outdoor tables. The claim that the indoor seating area decreases is not clearly supported by the plans. More precise comparisons and accurate descriptions of these changes would make the account more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overall summary, and separate descriptions of the café before and after the redesign. This gives the reader a basic progression through the information. Linking phrases such as “overall,” “after redesigned,” and “on the one hand” help signal stages, although some are used awkwardly or do not express a clear contrast. The long final description combines several changes in one sentence, making relationships between features harder to follow. Organise the details by location or by what changed and what stayed the same, and use clearer links such as “In the former layout” and “In the redesigned café.” This would improve flow and make references easier to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a plan, including “kitchen,” “serving area,” “staff dining rooms,” “salad bar,” and “outdoor seating.” These terms show an adequate range for the task, and the main subject remains understandable. However, several word choices or forms are inaccurate: “the outside seating is construct for barbecue setup,” “food session,” and “the bin is increased” do not convey the intended features naturally. “Sitting area” is also less precise than “seating area.” Use the labels shown in the plans where possible, such as “hot meals,” “takeaway food,” and “recycling bins,” and choose standard collocations like “an outdoor seating area was added.” This would make the description more precise and natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a comparison between the old and new layouts and clauses introduced by “as” and “while.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction are evident. For example, “staff dining rooms is replaced” should use a plural verb and a passive form, while “the salad bar also build” needs a correctly formed passive verb. The opening phrase “after redesigned” also lacks a grammatical construction. Several sentences run together, and punctuation is inconsistent, particularly after commas and at sentence beginnings. Practise accurate past-tense passive forms for map changes and divide long descriptions into shorter, complete sentences.

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