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 two different plans illustrate that a college canteen desinged in the past and then it looks in the present condition. As an over all trend, it is generally observed that there are many things change as compare to the past like the kitchen area is change in the present and many other things;moreover, few thing are same in the two maps.

According to the given below plan that showed in the past in cafe there were many things like the kitchen they served all food and drinks while there 2 staff dining rooms in which the staff people rest when they tired. Moreover, there are table and chairs arranged in the cafe centre in the middle of the location .On the other hand,there was a bin in the east corner and toilets were available in the east south corner.In the present, the kitchen is remain here but a hot meal is serve and dining room are convert into take away food and coffe bar then the tables and chairs are in same location. The recycling bin and toilets are in east west corner furthermore a saladbar in the west position.

The most striking element is that a barbecue is at west south corner as well as there is a outdoor seating available in now.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main change from staff dining rooms to takeaway food and a coffee bar, and note that the kitchen, central tables and toilets remain. You also include the new salad bar, recycling bins, barbecue and outdoor seating, so the response covers the key before-and-after features. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the kitchen itself does not change; its counter is relabelled for hot meals. The recycling bins are on the eastern wall, not in the “east west corner,” and the outdoor seating is south of the café. The overview says generally that “many things change” but does not clearly group the major additions and retained features. A more precise overview and clearer location descriptions would make the comparison more complete and developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable sequence: an introduction and overview, a description of the former layout, a comparison with the current plan, and a final sentence about the outdoor additions. This gives the reader a basic framework. However, progression within the body is uneven: past and present details are combined in a long paragraph, while the final paragraph introduces important new features rather abruptly. Linking phrases such as “Moreover,” “On the other hand,” and “furthermore” are sometimes mechanical or do not clearly show the relationship between ideas. References such as “there” and “here” are also vague. Separate the two layouts into clearer paragraphs and use direct comparisons, for example, “The former staff rooms have been replaced by…”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing plans, including “east corner,” “centre,” “convert,” “recycling bin,” and “outdoor seating.” This shows an attempt to use task-specific language, but word choice and spelling errors are noticeable and sometimes make the description less clear. Examples include “desinged,” “over all trend,” “coffe bar,” and “saladbar.” Some phrases are also unnatural, such as “the kitchen area is change” and “staff people rest when they tired.” Prefer precise plan-description language: “the kitchen remains,” “the staff dining rooms were replaced,” and “a salad bar was added along the western wall.” Check compound words and use consistent terms for locations and facilities.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including comparisons introduced by “while” and “whereas,” and the reader can generally understand the main changes. However, control of verb forms, agreement, articles and sentence boundaries is inconsistent. For example, “the kitchen is remain here” should be “the kitchen remains in the same position,” while “a hot meal is serve” needs “hot meals are served.” In “there are table and chairs,” the plural form is required, and several sentences run together after full stops or commas. Use past tense for the former plan and present tense for the current one, and check each sentence for a clear subject and correctly formed verb. More accurate sentence construction would make your comparisons easier to follow.

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

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