Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-07
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 illustrate the layout of a college cafe previously and the present changes that have occurred in the college.
Overall, the previous cafe was just an area for residents to buy food and eat. However, significant changes have occurred in the café wherein it is now a more entertainment site for residents. New facilities has been added in the cafe such as hot metals, coffee bar, salad bar, barbecue, and outdoor seating, which makes the present cafe more attracted to visitor's.
Previously, the cafe has a kitchen at the northwest corner of it, which also has a serving area of all kinds of food and drins to costumers. At the center of the cafe there are two dinning rooms for staff. Then, at the southern part of the cafe toliets where constructed for visitors and just above it there is a bin for filters and tables and chairs where placed just outside the staff dinning rooms.
Today, a significant changes have been don in the cafe. The serving area of all types of food and drink has been replaced by hot metals but the kitchen remains as it was in the cafe. Furthermore, at the western part of the cafe, a salad bar has been constructed for vegetarian people. At the center of the cafe where the dinning rooms for staff used to be had been replaced by a coffee bar and take away food. There is a recycling bin at the souther
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 provides a clear overview of the changes, identifying the main features such as the addition of the salad bar and the coffee bar. However, the response is incomplete as it cuts off mid-sentence at the end, failing to describe the final layout fully. While the main features are highlighted, the lack of a complete conclusion or final summary of the current state limits the score. The description of the 'hot metals' is likely a misinterpretation of the visual data (likely 'hot meals'), which impacts the accuracy of the information reported.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the 'previous' layout to the 'present' changes. Cohesive devices such as 'Previously', 'Furthermore', and 'At the center' are used to link ideas. However, the flow is interrupted by the incomplete ending, which leaves the reader without a sense of closure. Additionally, some referencing is slightly mechanical, and the logical progression is hindered by the abrupt termination of the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'layout', 'facilities', and 'constructed'. However, there are several errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'drins' (drinks), 'costumers' (customers), 'toliets' (toilets), and 'hot metals' (likely 'hot meals'). These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader. The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the precision and sophistication required for a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('New facilities has been added', 'the cafe has a kitchen', 'a significant changes have been don') and tense inconsistencies. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the overall control of grammar is inconsistent. While the meaning is usually clear, the frequency of errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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