Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-07-30

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 6.5)

The floor plan illustrates the current Cafe plan and before it was redeveloped.

Overall, major changes are seen in outdoor seating are where barbecue has been introduced. While a salad bar has been added to main space. Further staff dining rooms are now converted into two spaces for take away food and coffee bar.

In redevelopment dustbins are changed to recycling bins for environment. While Kitchen remains same, just the serving table became place for hot meals. Staff's dining rooms are now converted into coffee bar and take away food space, while main table and chair area remains similar. New salad bar has been added beside kitchen. Outdoor space can see paramount changes such as outdoor seating area as well as barbecue grill. The remainder is as it was in past. This are few significant changes made to Cafe.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response identifies the main features of the cafe redesign, such as the addition of the salad bar and the conversion of staff rooms. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which limits the depth of the analysis. While the key changes are mentioned, the report lacks a clear, cohesive overview of the transformation. The failure to meet the minimum word count is a significant constraint that prevents a more thorough development of the information provided in the diagrams. To improve, ensure you provide a more detailed description of the spatial changes and ensure the response meets the length requirement to allow for full task coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate, such as the repetitive use of 'While' to start sentences. The progression of ideas is generally logical, but the transitions between the 'before' and 'after' states could be smoother. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when describing the layout changes. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would enhance the overall flow and coherence of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range expected at higher bands. Phrases like 'paramount changes' are used incorrectly in this context, and there is some repetition of basic terms like 'space' and 'converted'. The student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary (e.g., 'recycling bins', 'barbecue grill'), which is positive. To achieve a higher score, focus on using more precise collocations related to describing changes in diagrams, such as 'transformed into', 'relocated', or 'expanded', and avoid using words that do not fit the context naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'In redevelopment dustbins are changed' (missing articles), 'Kitchen remains same' (missing article), and 'This are few significant changes' (subject-verb agreement error). While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in articles and basic syntax prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles would significantly improve the accuracy of the writing.

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