Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The plans compare the layout of a college café before it was redesigned and how it looks today.

Overall, the café has been modernised by adding more food and drink facilities, introducing an outdoor seating area, and replacing the staff dining rooms with customer services. While the kitchen and toilets have remained in the same locations, several other areas have been reorganised to improve convenience for customers.

Previously, all food and drinks were served from a single serving area located next to the kitchen. There were also two staff dining rooms in the centre of the café, while the seating area occupied most of the floor space. In addition, a bin was placed near the entrance on the right-hand side, and the toilets were situated in the bottom-right corner.

Today, the serving area has been divided into several sections. A hot meals counter has been added beside the kitchen, while a take-away food counter and a coffee bar have replaced the former staff dining rooms. On the left side of the café, a salad bar has also been introduced. The single bin has been replaced with recycling bins near the entrance.

Another significant change is the addition of a barbecue area and outdoor seating along the front of the café, providing customers with extra dining space. Despite these changes, the kitchen, toilets and the large indoor tables-and-chairs area have remained largely unchanged.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response effectively addresses all requirements of the task. You have provided a clear overview of the main changes, such as the modernization of food facilities and the addition of outdoor seating. The body paragraphs are well-structured, detailing specific transformations like the replacement of staff dining rooms with a coffee bar and take-away counter. You successfully identified the key features and made relevant comparisons between the 'before' and 'now' layouts. The information is accurate and fully developed, ensuring the reader has a comprehensive understanding of the spatial changes without needing to refer back to the original images constantly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear progression from an overall summary to specific details. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the 'before' state from the 'now' state, which helps the reader follow the narrative. Cohesive devices such as 'Previously,' 'Today,' 'In addition,' and 'Another significant change' are used naturally to link ideas and transition between sections. The referencing is clear, and the flow of information is smooth throughout the text, making it very easy to read and understand the spatial relationships described.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for describing diagrams and spatial changes. Phrases like 'food and drink facilities,' 'reorganised to improve convenience,' and 'providing customers with extra dining space' are used accurately. There is a conscious effort to use varied terminology rather than repeating the same words. While the vocabulary is precise and fits the context well, it could be pushed further into more sophisticated or academic territory to reach the highest band, but it is certainly sufficient for a high-scoring response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writing displays a high level of grammatical control. You have used a variety of complex sentence structures, such as 'While the kitchen and toilets have remained in the same locations, several other areas have been reorganised...' and 'Despite these changes, the kitchen, toilets and the large indoor tables-and-chairs area have remained largely unchanged.' Punctuation is accurate, and there are virtually no errors in tense or agreement. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and the complexity of the structures used contributes to the overall clarity and professional tone of the report.

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