Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The maps illustrate the changes that have taken place in a college cafe from the past to the present day.

Overall, the area more developed, with the addition of new facilities, while some old features were replaced or removed.

In the past the cafe, there were only six facilities: a serving area for all food & drink, tables and chairs, staff dining rooms, toilets, and a bin. The toilets were located in the southeast corner. The Bin were located on the eastern side. The tables and chairs were located in the center. The staff dining rooms were located next to the tables and chairs. Moreover, the kitchen and serving area were located in the northeast corner.

By the present day, several new facilities including a salad bar, outdoor seating, a barbecue, take away food, and a coffee bar have been built. The toilets, tables and chairs, and kitchen have remained unchanged. The outdoor seating is located in the south side. The barbecue is located in the southwest corner. The salad bar is located on the western side. The serving area was replaced by the hot meals. The staff dining rooms were replaced by the take away food and coffee bar. Lastly, the bin was replaced by the recycling bins.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main features of the cafe redesign and provided a clear comparison between the past and present layouts. You covered all key changes, such as the removal of the staff dining rooms and the addition of new facilities like the salad bar and barbecue. To reach a higher band, ensure you group information more logically rather than listing every single item individually. For example, instead of listing every facility in the past, you could group them by their function or location to provide a more analytical overview of the spatial changes.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs focusing on the past and present. You use some cohesive devices like 'In the past', 'By the present day', and 'Moreover' to guide the reader. However, the progression within the body paragraphs is somewhat mechanical, relying heavily on simple sentence structures to list locations. To improve, try to use more varied linking phrases and reference pronouns to connect sentences more fluidly, which would help the text flow more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the changes, such as 'redesigned', 'facilities', 'replaced', and 'removed'. However, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive, particularly the frequent use of 'located' and 'were'. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more precise verbs or descriptive phrases to describe spatial relationships, such as 'situated', 'positioned', 'occupying the space', or 'adjacent to'. This would demonstrate a more flexible and sophisticated control of language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'the area more developed' (missing a verb), 'The Bin were' (subject-verb agreement), and 'replaced by the hot meals' (should be 'hot meals area'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensure that every sentence contains a clear main verb.

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

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