Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-08

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 6.5)

The illustration depicts the layout of a college cafe from before and how it is from today.

Overall, despite the seating arrangement and washroom, other features have changed significantly in a college cafe. The outdoor seating and Barbecue setup is the main addition in the current cafe.

The blueprint of a coffeehouse from before shows a large space for tables and chairs for students with a separate dining room for workers. In a corner of the coffee shop there is a washroom and a dustbin besides it, while the kitchen space involves a serving window for order pickup.

Whereas, after modernization of the cafe a significant change is made to improve facilities such as the addition of outdoor seating arrangement, a barbecue setup and a salad bar on side of indoor seating space. The counters for order pickup got separated namely, food pick up, coffee bar and for hot meals. The washroom and recycling bin exist at the same place from before.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main features of the cafe plans, including the addition of the outdoor seating and the reconfiguration of the serving counters. You have successfully identified the key changes and noted the elements that remained unchanged, such as the washroom and recycling bin. However, the overview is slightly weak; it could be more descriptive by highlighting the most significant transformation (the expansion of service areas and outdoor space) rather than just stating that features changed. To reach a higher band, ensure the overview provides a clearer summary of the overall trend of the redesign, such as the shift toward a more diverse service model.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs covering the 'before' and 'after' states. The progression of ideas is clear, and you use some cohesive devices like 'whereas' and 'in a corner of'. However, some transitions are a bit mechanical, and the connection between sentences could be smoother. For instance, the transition between the introduction and the first body paragraph is abrupt. Using a wider variety of linking words or phrases to show contrast or addition would improve the flow and help the reader follow the comparison more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'blueprint', 'modernization', and 'reconfiguration' (implied). There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'how it is from today' (should be 'how it looks today') and 'on side of' (should be 'on the side of'). While you successfully describe the specific features of the cafe, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive. To improve, try to use more precise collocations and varied synonyms for 'change' or 'addition' to enhance the sophistication of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'The outdoor seating and Barbecue setup is' (should be 'are') and 'The washroom and recycling bin exist at the same place from before' (should be 'remain in the same location'). Additionally, the phrase 'Whereas, after modernization' is grammatically awkward as a sentence starter. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading, particularly regarding subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions and introductory phrases.

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

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