Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-06

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)

This map illustrates the cafe of college and shows the difference between cafe before redesigning and today's cafe.

Overall, it can be clearly seen that some modern renovations occur in today's cafe rather than before.

Firstly, it can be seen that at the northeast corner of map, the serving area is replaced by hot metals. In the top middle of map, staff dining rooms are renovated into two portion i.e, take away food and coffee bar. Secondly, in the southeast corner of map, the new areas are designed for Salad bar inside the cafe of college.

Below the map, the new place is designed for barbecue in southeast corner. In adjacent to barbecue, area is occupied for outdoor seating where people enjoyed the barbecue with fresh air. But, the central area of cafe which is still used for tables and chairs. Moreover, in the southwest corner, place of toilets and bins was also not changed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the redesign, such as the new serving area, the coffee bar, and the outdoor seating. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear overview of the most significant changes. For instance, the mention of 'hot metals' is an inaccurate interpretation of the visual data, and the description of the layout is occasionally confusing, such as the reference to 'two portion'. To reach a higher band, you should focus on grouping information more logically (e.g., internal vs. external changes) and ensuring that your summary highlights the most prominent transformations rather than listing every detail in isolation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response uses basic cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Moreover' to structure the information. While this creates a logical flow, the paragraphing is underdeveloped; the entire body is essentially one block of text, which makes it harder to follow. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as 'Below the map', which does not accurately describe the layout of the cafe. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph focuses on a distinct theme, such as 'internal modifications' versus 'external additions'.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks precision and variety. Phrases like 'hot metals' and 'place of toilets' are unnatural and imprecise. There is also some repetition of basic structures. To improve, you should aim to use more specific terminology related to floor plans, such as 'partitioned', 'relocated', 'converted', or 'extended'. Using more sophisticated collocations will help you convey the changes more effectively and demonstrate a better command of English for academic purposes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('at the northeast corner of map'), incorrect prepositions ('In adjacent to'), and awkward phrasing ('the cafe of college'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. To improve, focus on the correct use of articles, prepositions, and subject-verb agreement. Proofreading your work for these small but frequent errors will significantly improve the clarity and professionalism of your writing.

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

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