Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The given diagrams compare the maps of a college cafe before its renovation and how it actually looks now.

Overall, it is clearly seen that the design of the cafe has been changed dramatically with the addition of numerous amenities like salad bar, barbecue, and outdoor seating area.

To begin with, the positions of kitchen, toilets , tables and chairs and rubbish bins remain similar in the both given plans, whereas the area for hot meals is constructed near the kitchen, which was the area for serving food and drinks, recently and bins are replaced by recycling bins in the present map of the cafe. In addition, a salad bar has built towards the west side of tables and kitchen in today's map.

Explaining further, the area that reserved for staff dining rooms is replaced by take away food and coffee bar in present plan of the cafe. Moreover, a new barbecue area is constructed towards the western side of newly built outdoor sitting arrangements.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign well. You successfully identified the key changes, such as the addition of the salad bar, the barbecue area, and the conversion of the staff dining room. However, the description of the layout is occasionally confusing. For example, stating that the salad bar was built 'towards the west side of tables and kitchen' is slightly vague. To improve, ensure you clearly contrast the 'before' and 'after' states for every feature mentioned. While you have highlighted the main differences, a more structured approach—perhaps grouping by structural changes versus amenity additions—would make the information easier to follow.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction and a summary of the main changes. You use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'In addition', and 'Moreover' to link your ideas. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes hindered by slightly awkward phrasing, such as 'the area for hot meals is constructed near the kitchen... recently'. The use of referencing is generally clear, but some sentences feel a bit disjointed. To reach a higher band, focus on creating smoother transitions between sentences and ensuring that the relationship between the 'before' and 'after' states is explicitly linked through cohesive language.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'amenities', 'renovation', and 'constructed'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'the area that reserved for' (should be 'the area reserved for') and 'outdoor sitting arrangements' (usually 'seating'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning, it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. Try to incorporate more specific descriptive language regarding spatial relationships and changes in function to elevate the quality of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'a salad bar has built' (passive voice error: 'has been built') and 'in the both given plans' (article error: 'in both of the given plans'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on mastering passive voice constructions and article usage to improve your accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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