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 map illustrates the several changes of café before redesign and after the new design.

Overall, the kitchen and toilets stayed in the same layout after redesign the café, and also the place of tables and chairs, while serving area changed , in addition the bin, meanwhile staff rooms also changes .In contrast,some new facilities are added to the new layout.

The layout of café is divided to two part, the first part contained the kitchen and serving area ( all food,drinks) before changing it now to the kitchen and hot meals only.The second part contained rooms for staff dining became a coffee bar and take away food;however, toilets stay in corner of layout, the bin transfer to recycling bins , in the main floor tables and chairs present in both design.

On the other hand, a new salad bar and a new tables and chairs put in outdoor, to have a barbecue .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall changes: the kitchen and toilets remain, the staff dining rooms become a coffee bar and takeaway area, and new facilities are introduced. These points are relevant and broadly match the plans. However, some important details are only briefly reported or unclear. For example, you mention outdoor tables and a barbecue but do not explain that outdoor seating is added beyond the southern wall and that two new doors provide access to it. The salad bar is also mentioned without its position, and the change from a general serving area to a hot-meals counter could be stated more precisely. Develop the overview around the contrast between retained features and expanded food and outdoor facilities, then describe the changes with clearer locations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing changes. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression within the paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow, particularly in the overview, where several points are joined in a long sequence: “and also the place of tables and chairs, while serving area changed, in addition the bin, meanwhile staff rooms also changes.” The division into “two part” is not clearly supported by the plan and makes the description less logical. Some linking words, such as “On the other hand,” suggest a contrast that is not fully developed. Group the retained features together, then describe the new internal and outdoor facilities in a clear order, using simpler links.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “kitchen,” “serving area,” “staff dining,” “recycling bins,” and “barbecue,” so the main features can generally be understood. There is some attempt to vary wording with phrases such as “stayed in the same layout” and “new facilities.” However, several choices are imprecise or awkward, including “the place of tables and chairs,” “the bin transfer to recycling bins,” and “a new tables and chairs put in outdoor.” “The place” does not clearly express that the seating area remains, while “transfer” is not a natural description of replacing a bin with recycling bins. Use precise spatial and change vocabulary, such as “remained in the central area,” “was replaced by,” and “outdoor seating area.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses joined with “while” and “although”-type contrast through “in contrast.” Meaning is usually recoverable, but errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms are evident. For example, “after redesign the café” needs a clearer clause structure, and “staff rooms also changes” has incorrect agreement and tense. In “The layout of café is divided to two part,” the article, preposition, and plural form are inaccurate. Punctuation also makes some sentences hard to parse, especially the overview, where commas and spaces around punctuation are inconsistent. Practise accurate past-tense descriptions and build shorter sentences with clear subjects and verbs before combining ideas; this will improve control without limiting your range.

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

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