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 structural layout illustrates the specific and reported main facilities, and make comparisons where relevant.

Overall, it is evident that their are many key changes which occurs, the place are relocated some of of the features along demolished not only, but also constructed new places such as coffee bar and recycling bins.

To begin with, the cafe nearly reconstructed into a totally new place, the serving area for all foods and drink are replace a hot meals counter but the kitchen is on its original position. Significantly, the hole staff dinning rooms are demolished and they make a coffee bar and take away food centre around the its midpoint.

Shifting toward the remaining changes, in the south direction the free area is occur and they build outdoor seating for people and at southwest corner there is a barbecue. Lastly, many key features also introduce such as they transform bin into a recycling bins and an salad bar is open at east side of cafe.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

You have identified the main features of the cafe redesign, such as the new coffee bar, outdoor seating, and the recycling bins. However, the response lacks a clear overview of the most significant changes, and some descriptions are inaccurate or confusing, such as the claim that the kitchen remained in its original position when the plan shows it was relocated. The introduction is also problematic as it repeats the prompt instructions rather than providing a summary of the transformation. To improve, focus on clearly grouping the changes (e.g., internal vs. external) and ensuring the data reported matches the visual evidence provided in the diagrams.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate, such as 'Shifting toward the remaining changes' and 'Lastly'. There are also issues with referencing; for example, 'the hole staff dinning rooms' is unclear, and the connection between sentences is sometimes weak. The progression of ideas is occasionally interrupted by grammatical errors that make it difficult to follow the logic of the spatial descriptions. Using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer to their antecedents would improve the flow significantly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is generally limited and often imprecise. You rely on basic verbs like 'make', 'build', and 'open', which do not accurately describe architectural changes. There are several instances of word-choice errors, such as 'the hole staff dinning rooms' (likely meaning 'whole staff dining room') and 'the free area is occur'. Additionally, there are issues with word forms, such as 'recycling bins' used inconsistently. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise vocabulary related to maps and changes, such as 'relocated', 'converted', 'extended', or 'demolished', and pay closer attention to collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that often impede communication. There are significant issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'the place are relocated' and 'the serving area... are replace'. Sentence structure is often awkward, and there are errors with articles and prepositions, such as 'on the its midpoint' and 'at east side of cafe'. While you attempt some complex structures, they are frequently faulty, leading to confusion. You need to focus on basic sentence construction, specifically ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that articles are used correctly before nouns.

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

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