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 plans illustrates a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.
Overall, the cafe before redesign was provided less facilities for college students as compared to today's cafe. The changes is clearly seen in the structure and design.
To commence with, the cafe before redesigned provided a large space for tables and chairs as compared for other objects. Toilets was located in the corner of the cafe. Moreover, there was a small bin for collecting waste. In this there are two staff dinning rooms and a dinning table is inserted in the rooms. Hence, serving area for all food and drink has been replaced by hot meals in today's cafe.
In contrast, today's cafe is more established, well developed and provide more facilities as compared to past's cafe. Staff dinning rooms is separated into two room one is for take away food and another one is coffee bar. Serving area had been replaced by hot meals. Furthermore, salad bar is also installed. The size of bin is also increased. Barbecue is constructed near outdoor seating area. Hence, a large number of tables and chairs is allocated outside the cafe.
In conclusion, today's cafe is more convenient and established as compared to before the cafe was redesigned.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response provides a clear overview of the changes, identifying key features such as the addition of the barbecue and the reconfiguration of the serving area. However, the description is somewhat repetitive and lacks precision in comparing the two layouts. For instance, stating 'the cafe before redesign was provided less facilities' is grammatically awkward and vague. While the main features are covered, the report would benefit from more specific data or clearer spatial references to help the reader visualize the transformation. The summary is adequate, but the lack of precise detail regarding the layout changes limits the score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the 'before' state to the 'after' state. Cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'In contrast', and 'In conclusion' are used to link ideas. However, some transitions feel mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'In this there are two staff dinning rooms'. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult to track exactly which part of the cafe is being discussed. Overall, the structure is coherent, but the flow between sentences could be smoother and more varied.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally sufficient for the task, but it lacks the precision and variety expected at higher bands. There are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'provided less facilities' instead of 'offered fewer facilities' and 'past's cafe' instead of 'the previous layout'. The repetition of basic verbs like 'is' and 'are' also limits the lexical range. To improve, you should focus on using more descriptive verbs and nouns related to architectural changes, such as 'transformed', 'relocated', 'expanded', or 'integrated'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Subject-verb agreement is a recurring issue, for example: 'The plans illustrates', 'The changes is clearly seen', and 'Staff dinning rooms is separated'. There are also errors with articles and prepositions, such as 'as compared for other objects' and 'in the rooms'. While you attempt some complex sentence structures, the high frequency of basic errors in simple sentences prevents a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and pluralization would significantly improve your accuracy.
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