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 plans provide information about a college cafe before and after redesigned.

Overall, compared with the earlier layout, the site became considerably more built up, with several new facilities added while some old features were removed.

Looking more into the plans, there was almost a rectangular layout consisted of some ordinary section. However, there was a kitchen with serving area where all the eatables were present for customers and in front of that a lot of place was empty. While two rooms were for staff where they could dine. Likewise, furniture was placed facing staff dinning rooms and only one entrance was available to the cafe. Beside that in the bottom right corner a toilet was there.

In contrast, cafe today is now well developed especially in the kitchen serving area is converted to hot meals along with it a salad bar is constructed. Take away facility is now present for the comfort of customers beside that a coffee bar is also developed in place of dinning rooms. Previously only one bin was there but now multiples and near to it toilets are there without any change. However, an open barbeque area is available with outdoor sitting facility and the newer version of cafe has multiple entrance for the ease of customers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, including the kitchen, seating, and new facilities. However, the description is somewhat disorganized and lacks a clear, analytical focus. While you mention the addition of a salad bar and barbeque area, the comparison between the 'before' and 'after' states is occasionally confusing, particularly in the third paragraph where the description of the layout becomes difficult to follow. To improve, ensure you group features logically (e.g., seating, service areas, facilities) rather than listing them chronologically, and ensure the overview clearly highlights the most significant changes, such as the shift from a simple dining area to a more versatile, multi-functional space.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, but the logical flow is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing and mechanical transitions. Phrases like 'Looking more into the plans' and 'Beside that' are used repetitively and do not always effectively link ideas. The referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to visualize the spatial changes. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in contrast to') and ensure that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus that guides the reader through the comparison of the two plans.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. You use some basic or slightly inaccurate terms, such as 'eatables' (which is unnatural in this context) and 'built up' to describe the cafe layout. There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'dinning' (should be 'dining'). To improve, try to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to architectural changes and spatial descriptions, such as 'transformed', 'relocated', 'expanded', or 'integrated'. Expanding your range of descriptive adjectives and nouns will help convey the changes more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'before and after redesigned' (should be 'before and after being redesigned'), 'there was almost a rectangular layout consisted of' (should be 'consisted of'), and 'multiples and near to it toilets are there' (which is syntactically awkward). While the meaning is generally clear, these errors occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency. Focus on mastering subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice, which is essential for describing changes in diagrams.

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

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