Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-04
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 given diagrams depicts the difference in the appearance of the college cafe, before and after its redesign took place.
Overall, it is evident that major advancement was made in the outdoor part, as earlier there was everything designed for indoor section of cafe. After redesigning the plan, today there is a new addition of an outdoor seating area and barbecue to cafe.
Looking at both plans it can be seen that placings of kitchen, tables and chairs and toilets remain same as prior to redesign. However, serving area of all food and beverages got replaced with specific hot meals. Similarly, general bin next to toilets became bigger in size and termed as recycling bin for dumping things only that can be recycled. Specific room area for staff dining allocated to two equal size places namely - take away food and coffee bar.
On the other hand, smaller section on left side on tables and chairs assigned to salad bar.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the redesign, such as the addition of the outdoor area and the changes to the serving area. However, the description of the changes is occasionally unclear or inaccurate. For instance, stating that the kitchen and toilets 'remain same' is correct, but the description of the staff dining area being allocated to 'two equal size places' is confusing and does not accurately reflect the visual information provided in the plan. While the overview is present, the report lacks the precision required for a higher band, as some details are described in a way that makes it difficult for the reader to visualize the changes accurately.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the overview to specific details. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Looking at both plans', 'However', and 'On the other hand' are used to link ideas. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing, such as 'dumping things only that can be recycled'. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the use of cohesive devices is occasionally mechanical, and the referencing of specific areas could be smoother to improve the overall readability of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe the changes to the cafe. There are some attempts at more specific vocabulary, such as 'advancement', 'recycling bin', and 'beverages'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and awkward collocations, such as 'placings of kitchen', 'termed as recycling bin', and 'dumping things'. These errors do not impede communication, but they limit the precision of the description. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on using more natural collocations and precise terminology related to floor plans and spatial descriptions.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including missing articles ('to cafe', 'on left side on tables'), subject-verb agreement issues ('The given diagrams depicts'), and awkward phrasing ('remains same as prior to redesign'). While these errors are noticeable, they rarely impede the reader's understanding of the main points. The range of structures is sufficient to convey the information, but the lack of consistent accuracy in basic grammar and punctuation prevents the response from reaching a higher band score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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