Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-12

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 diagram provides information about the modifications in the structure of college cafe and how it extended.

Overall, the major changes in the structure of canteen are about sitting area. Some rooms that are too small they are also redesigned.

First, the huge change in the restaurant is about the seating capacity has increased because it adds outdoor seating area that make cafe more spacious and there is also a barbecue spot in the corner. They also finish the space of staff dining.

Secondly, many facilities are added like recycling bin, and the toilet area has renovated. There is also salad bar has added to give more advantages to the students. There are also an inside tables and chairs. The kitchen compartment has also changed with the addition of hot meals section and their it seems the new extension of the cafe has a wonderful impact on students, and the coffee bar has a significant loction.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad contrast between the original café and its redesigned version, especially the new outdoor seating and barbecue, and mention several added facilities. However, the account is only partly developed and includes some inaccurate or unclear descriptions. For example, the staff dining rooms were replaced by takeaway-food and coffee-bar sections, rather than simply having their space “finish[ed].” The toilets remain in the same location; the response says their area “has renovated,” which suggests a change not shown in the plans. The overview also focuses on seating but does not clearly summarise the main internal changes. To strengthen the report, describe the key before-and-after changes precisely, including the new salad bar and the conversion of the former staff rooms.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure, with an opening, an overview, and two paragraphs introduced by “First” and “Secondly.” This gives the reader some sense of organisation. However, the progression is not consistently clear: the second body paragraph moves from recycling bins to toilets, the salad bar, seating, the kitchen, and the coffee bar without a clear spatial or comparative order. Some links between ideas are also difficult to follow, particularly the sentence beginning “There is also an inside tables and chairs” and the final clause about the café’s impact. Group changes by area or function—for example, north-side facilities, interior changes, and outdoor additions—and use clear comparisons to make the sequence easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing a café plan, including “outdoor seating area,” “barbecue,” “recycling bin,” “salad bar,” and “coffee bar.” This shows an attempt to use task-specific terms. However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural, such as “finish the space of staff dining,” “the toilet area has renovated,” and “a significant loction.” “Huge change” and “wonderful impact” are also evaluative rather than suitable for a neutral plan description. Aim for precise terms such as “was replaced by,” “was added,” and “remained unchanged.” Check spelling and collocations, and avoid claims about benefits or impact that the plans themselves do not demonstrate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts some longer sentence forms, including clauses with “because” and “that,” but control is inconsistent and errors sometimes make relationships between ideas unclear. Examples include “the structure of canteen,” “Some rooms that are too small they are also redesigned,” and “There is also salad bar has added.” These show problems with articles, sentence construction, and verb forms. In “the kitchen compartment has also changed with the addition of hot meals section,” the article is also missing. The final sentence joins several ideas in a way that is difficult to parse. Practise forming complete subject–verb clauses and checking agreement and articles; for example, “A salad bar has been added” and “The toilets remain in the same location.”

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