Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-03

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 layout shows about the before and after changes of college cafe.

Overall, there is increase in availability of seating, as in the new plan there is outdoor seating also. Even there is place for take away food and cafe and also a barbecue counter at outdoor. Also the salad bar is separated from the hot meals counter.

As the cafe before redesign only had basic amenities like one toilets and bin on it side and in big area where all the tables and chair arranged and in that there was two rooms for staff. Even the kitchen had only one serving area where all the food and drink get.

Now although there is no change in toilets but now there is recycle bin placed. Also in the big space where only tables and chair arranged there is salad bar and staff dining rooms converted to take away food place and coffee bar, both side by side. However now the serving area serve only hot meals. Even there is now the facility of outdoor seating along with barbecue bar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, such as the addition of outdoor seating, the barbecue counter, and the reorganization of the interior. However, the description is somewhat repetitive and lacks a clear, analytical focus. While the main changes are identified, the comparison between the 'before' and 'after' states could be more precise. For example, the mention of 'two rooms for staff' being converted is a good observation, but the overall summary lacks a professional tone and fails to highlight the most significant structural changes effectively. The response addresses the task requirements but remains at a descriptive level rather than a comparative one.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the general overview to specific details. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or awkward. Phrases like 'Even there is' and 'Also in the big space' are used repetitively to start sentences, which disrupts the flow. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when describing the layout changes. While the logical progression is generally maintained, the lack of varied linking words and the somewhat disjointed sentence structure limit the coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher bands. The student relies on basic terms like 'place', 'big area', and 'things'. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and incorrect collocations, such as 'all the food and drink get' and 'on it side'. While the student manages to convey the necessary information about the cafe layout, the range of vocabulary is limited, and the errors in word choice occasionally make the text feel unnatural or slightly confusing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Issues include missing articles ('one toilets', 'the facility of outdoor seating'), incorrect verb forms ('the serving area serve'), and awkward sentence construction ('the layout shows about the before and after changes'). Punctuation is also inconsistent. While the meaning is generally clear despite these errors, the high frequency of grammatical slips prevents the text from reaching a higher band. The student needs to focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles.

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