Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-14

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 plans below illustrate a college cafe previously and after new designed how it looks today. Sum up the data by choosing and describing the core elements and do comparisons where relevent.

Overall, kitchen, bin and serving area are remain same but staff dining rooms converted into take away some salad bar introduced and chairs and tables useing for serving the food inside and outside the cafe.

Before redesign of cafe it has only kitchen with it serving area of all food and drink. In the hall of cafe chairs and tabels decorated for the serve of food.On the north side of the hall staff dining rooms with this the main door and in the other cornner toilets between both there is bin for trash of the cafe.

In today cafe added hot meals in kitchin,front of the door of the kitchen added salad bar. Staff dining roon converted into take away food and coffee bar, on the place of bin add recyclimg bins , there is one more gate with toilets for outdoor seatings. On the out side of the cafe added barbecus and a gate for entarnce and some seating for outsider.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main change from staff dining rooms to takeaway and coffee facilities, and you mention the new salad bar, recycling bins, outdoor seating and barbecue. The overview also attempts to distinguish what changed from what remained. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the kitchen and toilets remain, but the serving area is relabelled as hot meals, and the bin becomes recycling bins rather than simply remaining the same. The description of the entrance is also confusing: the original entrance is on the east wall, while two new doors lead from the south wall to the outdoor seating. This covers the main transformation, but more precise comparisons and a clearer account of the new layout would make the report more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an overview is followed by a paragraph about the original café and one about its current layout. This gives the reader a basic chronological progression. However, connections between details are sometimes unclear, particularly in phrases such as “On the north side of the hall staff dining rooms with this the main door” and “there is one more gate with toilets for outdoor seatings.” These make it difficult to understand which features are adjacent or where entrances lead. Linking expressions are also limited, and several details are crowded into long sentences. Use clearer location-based sequencing—for example, describe the north, west, east and south sides in turn—and separate distinct changes into shorter, well-connected sentences.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant plan vocabulary, including “kitchen,” “staff dining rooms,” “salad bar,” “recycling bins” and “outdoor seating,” so the reader can identify many features. However, the range and control are limited, with repeated general words such as “added” and “door,” and several inaccurate or unclear choices: “new designed,” “decorated for the serve of food,” “gate,” and “barbecus.” Spelling errors such as “tabels,” “kitchin” and “recyclimg” also reduce clarity. Aim for precise terms used in map descriptions, such as “converted into,” “located along,” “entrance,” and “barbecue area.” More accurate collocations would help you describe the layout without relying on vague wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, and the reader can generally follow the broad comparison. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, especially with verb forms, articles, agreement and sentence construction. For example, “kitchen, bin and serving area are remain same” has an incorrect verb pattern, while “staff dining rooms converted into” needs a passive verb form. The sentence beginning “Before redesign of cafe it has only kitchen” also shifts awkwardly between past and present. Some sentences run together without clear punctuation, as in the description of the hall and its facilities. Practise accurate past and present passive forms (“were converted,” “are located”) and use complete sentences with clear subjects and verbs.

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