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 presented plan illustrates the layout of a college café before and after it was redesigned, showing how it has been modernized.

Overall, before the redesign, the college café had only a few facilities, such as a staff dining room, toilets, and a kitchen. However, after the renovation, it became more modern with the addition of several new amenities.

Before the redesign, the entrance and exit were located on the right side of the building. The dustbin and toilets were near the entrance. The kitchen and serving area were situated on the north-west side of the staff dining room. Several tables and chairs were placed in the middle of the café.

After the redesign, the café includes several new facilities. A barbecue counter was added at the bottom of the café for customers. The former staff dining room was converted into a coffee bar, and a food takeaway counter was also constructed for customers.

In addition, a salad bar was added for customers who are on a diet. The kitchen area remained in the same location, but a hot meals counter was added inside the kitchen. Finally, the dustbin was replaced with recycling bins.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the café redesign, including the conversion of the staff room and the addition of new counters. You provide a clear overview and support your points with specific details from the diagrams. To reach a higher band, ensure you make more explicit comparisons between the two plans rather than just listing changes. For example, you could contrast the previous open seating area with the new, more specialized layout. Overall, you have addressed all parts of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that follow a sensible progression. You use cohesive devices such as 'Before the redesign,' 'After the redesign,' and 'In addition' to guide the reader through the changes. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall clarity of the report. The flow of information is smooth, and the relationship between the ideas is easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the changes clearly, using terms like 'modernized,' 'amenities,' 'converted,' and 'constructed.' The vocabulary is generally accurate and appropriate for the context of describing a floor plan. To improve, try to incorporate more precise descriptive language regarding spatial relationships or the nature of the changes, such as 'reconfigured' or 'transformed' instead of just 'added' or 'remained.' Your word choice is functional and does not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

Your writing displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. The grammar is generally accurate, and your control over punctuation is solid. There are very few errors, and those that exist do not interfere with the meaning. To aim for a higher band, you could experiment with more varied complex structures, such as using passive voice to describe the changes (e.g., 'The space was reconfigured to accommodate...') or using participle clauses to combine related pieces of information more fluidly.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.