Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-09

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 plans illustrate how a college cafe looks like before it was redesigned versus how it is in the present day.

Overall, the cafe underwent redevelopment and introduced new food selections. There were no changes in the location of the kitchen and tables and chairs but the cafe added outdoor seating option.

Before the redesign, the serving area for all food and drinks was adjacent to the kitchen. Today, it was replaced by hot meals option and a new salad bar was placed in the western side of the cafe. Also, the staff dining rooms were converted into take away food and coffee bar.

In the eastern side of the cafe, the bin was expanded and provided recycling options for trash. In addition, a new area for outdoor seating was also introduced and a barbecue station was built. By contrast, there were no changes made to the toilets and kitchen.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully identifies the main features of the cafe redesign. You have clearly highlighted the key changes, such as the new food options, the salad bar, and the outdoor seating, while also noting the areas that remained unchanged. The overview provides a concise summary of the transformation. To reach a higher band, ensure that all comparisons are precise; for instance, you mention the salad bar is on the western side, but comparing its location to the previous serving area would add more analytical depth. Overall, you have covered all parts of the task well and provided a clear, logical summary of the visual information provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that group information by location or theme. You use cohesive devices such as 'Before the redesign,' 'Today,' 'In the eastern side,' and 'By contrast' to guide the reader through the changes. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. To improve, ensure that transitions between sentences are slightly more varied to avoid a somewhat mechanical feel. For example, instead of starting multiple sentences with 'In the,' you could integrate these details into more complex sentences to improve the flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'redevelopment,' 'adjacent,' 'converted,' and 'recycling options' appropriately. The language is generally accurate and conveys the intended meaning clearly. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items related to describing changes, such as 'transformed,' 'relocated,' or 'refurbished.' While your current vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the information, expanding your range of descriptive verbs and adjectives would enhance the precision and professional tone of your report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some minor grammatical slips, such as 'how a college cafe looks like' (should be 'what a college cafe looks like') and 'hot meals option' (should be 'hot meals options'). Additionally, 'Today, it was replaced' is slightly awkward; 'Currently, this area has been replaced' would be more accurate. Despite these errors, the meaning is never obscured, and the punctuation is generally correct. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles, as these small errors currently prevent the writing from reaching a higher level of grammatical control.

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