Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-05
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 two maps compare the transformation of college cafe from the previous design to present ones.
Overall, various changes can be noticed, including the addition of salad bar, outdoor seating, and barbecue, the repurpose of staff dining rooms into take away food and coffee bar.
Beginning with the western side of the cafe, serving area, which served for all food and drink has transformed into a hot meals. However, kitchen has remained untouched regardless of any changes. Moreover, salad bar, barbecue and outdoor seating have been added to the new design, creating a huge difference compared with the old design and how it has changed.
In terms of eastern side of the plan, toilets has stayed the same; meanwhile, the staff dining rooms has became a new area for take away food and a place for coffee bar. Interesting, the old bin one has changed into a new recycling bin.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| 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 cafe redesign, including the addition of the salad bar, outdoor seating, and the repurposing of the staff dining area. However, the description of the changes is somewhat superficial. For example, stating the kitchen 'remained untouched' is accurate, but the report lacks a more precise comparison of the spatial layout or the flow of the cafe. The overview is clear, but the development of the body paragraphs is slightly repetitive in structure. To reach a higher band, ensure that all key features are described with more analytical detail regarding their location and relative size.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on different sides of the cafe. Cohesive devices such as 'Beginning with', 'Moreover', and 'In terms of' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally imprecise. For instance, the phrase 'the old bin one' is awkward and lacks clarity. The progression of ideas is generally logical, but the internal cohesion within the second body paragraph could be improved to ensure a smoother flow between the description of the toilets and the new coffee area.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing for the description of the changes. You use some relevant terms like 'transformation', 'repurpose', and 'redesign'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'the old bin one' and 'has became' (should be 'has become'). The range is sufficient to convey the main points, but it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using more varied collocations and ensuring that nouns and verbs are used accurately in context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('toilets has stayed', 'staff dining rooms has became') and missing articles ('served for all food and drink has transformed into a hot meals'). These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not significantly impede communication. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles when describing specific areas of a plan.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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