Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The plan below show a college cafe before it was redesigned and it is looking amazing now.
Overall, pervious design of college cafe was short and looking close. But now design of cafe is very wonderful and make more shapes.
On one hand, we discussed about previous college cafe design. In which this design included a staff dining rooms with open area, and tables and chairs were present. And bin included and toilet was presented near the bin. And a kitchen was made in start of design, and serving area like food items and dinks presented near the kitchen. This plan was looking not great.
On the other hand, college cafe structure is wonderful and add more shapes and opportunities. Firstly, it is including salad bar opposite to the recycling bins. And kitchen is present in the same area like previous design. Moreover, staff dining rooms changes into two separate rooms like take away food and coffee bar. And tables and chairs are present in the same side. Furthermore, the best thing is that outdoor seating, students and staff can enjoy the outside view. And barbecue is add in the new structure. This design looks cafe more beautiful or larger.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to describe the changes, but it fails to provide a professional or objective summary. The language used is overly subjective, such as describing the design as 'wonderful' or 'not great', which is inappropriate for an Academic Task 1 report. While the main features are identified, the comparison is hindered by a lack of precise spatial language. The overview is weak and does not clearly highlight the most significant changes, such as the expansion of the seating area or the addition of outdoor facilities. To improve, focus on reporting factual changes rather than personal opinions and ensure the overview captures the primary transformation of the space.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical and sometimes misused, such as 'On one hand' and 'On the other hand', which are better suited for discursive essays rather than describing visual data. The progression of ideas is somewhat repetitive, particularly in the description of the kitchen and dining areas. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult to track specific changes between the two plans. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring a smoother flow between sentences would significantly enhance the coherence of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic descriptors like 'wonderful', 'beautiful', and 'present'. There is a lack of precise terminology required for describing maps or plans, such as 'relocated', 'extended', 'converted', or 'adjacent to'. Some word choices are unnatural, such as 'make more shapes' or 'in start of design'. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more specific vocabulary related to spatial changes and avoid subjective adjectives. Expanding your range to include more academic collocations will help you convey information with greater precision and sophistication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are consistent issues with article usage ('the' is often missing), subject-verb agreement ('plan below show', 'design included a staff dining rooms'), and tense consistency. The sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. When complex structures are attempted, they often contain errors, such as 'In which this design included...'. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring correct verb tenses when comparing past and present states, and proofreading for common errors like pluralisation and missing articles.
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.