Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The map illustrates the layout of the cafe before it redesign and how it is today.
Overall, the cafe has been significantly modernised. Several new food services and outdoor facilities has been added. Whereas, staff and dinning table have been removed. Kitchen and table & chairs remained unchanged.
The kitchen remained in the top corner of the cafe. While toilets occupy the space at the bottom right. Additionally, the staff dinning has been replaced with take away food.
Several new facilities were added like a salad bar and a barbecue were installed on the left-hand side, while outdoor seating was created outside the café. In addition, the original bin was replaced with recycling bins near the entrance.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the development of the task. While you have identified some key features, such as the addition of the salad bar and the relocation of the bin, the analysis is quite brief. To improve, you should provide a more detailed description of the changes, including specific locations and sizes, and ensure you reach the required length to fully develop your summary. The overview is present but lacks the depth required for a higher band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'Additionally' and 'In addition' to link ideas. However, the flow is somewhat mechanical, and the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus, perhaps by grouping changes by area (e.g., internal vs. external) rather than listing them sequentially.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, using terms like 'modernised', 'facilities', and 'relocated' (implied). However, there are some inaccuracies, such as 'staff dinning' (likely meaning 'staff dining area') and 'take away food' (which should be 'takeaway service'). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more precise descriptive language related to maps and spatial changes, such as 'transformed', 'situated', or 'adjacent to'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are several grammatical errors that affect the clarity of your writing. For example, 'before it redesign' should be 'before its redesign', and 'Several new food services... has been added' contains a subject-verb agreement error ('have' is required). Additionally, 'Whereas, staff and dinning table have been removed' is a sentence fragment. You rely mostly on simple sentence structures. To improve, focus on correcting basic subject-verb agreement and ensure that your sentences are complete and grammatically sound.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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