Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-10

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 plans illustrates a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now. Overall, a cafe has become more various zone and facilities such as barbecue connor, salad and coffee bar are added, bin changed to recycling bins, and serving area recovered to hot meals.

A cafe contained kitchen, serving area whereas all food and drinks, 2 staff dining rooms, a big hall whereas tables and chairs, toilets and bin before redesigned.

At the present time, kitchen and hot meals, salad bar, take away food, coffee bar, tables and chairs, toilets and recycling bins in the hall. In addition, barbecue zone created it has outdoor seatings.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the score. While you have attempted to identify the main features of the cafe redesign, the description is underdeveloped and lacks the necessary detail to fully address the task. For example, you mention the 'barbecue connor' and 'salad bar' but do not provide a clear comparison of the spatial changes or the overall layout transformation. To improve, you must expand your analysis by describing the specific locations and the extent of the changes more thoroughly to ensure the task is fully covered.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organized into three short paragraphs, which provides a basic structure. However, the progression of ideas is disjointed. You use some cohesive devices like 'Overall' and 'In addition,' but the transitions between sentences are often abrupt or missing. For instance, the second paragraph lists features without clear logical flow or comparative language. To improve, focus on using a wider range of linking words (e.g., 'whereas,' 'in contrast,' 'subsequently') to connect your ideas more fluidly and ensure the reader can easily follow the comparison between the two plans.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive, relying on basic terms like 'big' and 'changed.' There are also several errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'connor' (corner), 'recovered' (converted), and 'various zone' (varied zones). These errors occasionally make it difficult to understand your intended meaning. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise vocabulary related to describing maps and changes, such as 'transformed,' 'relocated,' 'expanded,' or 'installed.' Expanding your range of descriptive adjectives and nouns will help you communicate your observations more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that impede clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'The plans illustrates'), missing articles (e.g., 'a cafe contained kitchen'), and awkward sentence structures (e.g., 'barbecue zone created it has outdoor seatings'). You rely almost exclusively on simple sentence structures, which limits your ability to demonstrate grammatical range. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and subject-verb agreement. Additionally, try to incorporate more complex structures, such as relative clauses or passive voice, which are essential for describing changes in a formal report.

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

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