Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The given diagrams illustrate the layout of a college cafe before it was renovated and existing infrastructure of cafe.
Overall, after redesigning of cafe some things are located as same as at place when they are located in past structure such as Kitchen, recycling bins, toilets tables and chairs and entrance of cafe. While, the area is changed significantly and added various things their like outdoor seating and barbecue facility.
According to the diagrams, the kitchen and serving area were located in the north-west side of cafe, which are located at same place in new infrastructural plane. Additionally, tables and chairs were located in the central of the cafe, which is remained unchanged. Similarly, the location of toilets and bin same it is which was mentioned in past plan, while the number of bin increased in new structure.
On the other side, the changes of new redesigned cafe is important. Firstly, the staff dining rooms are located in the central of the north side of the cafe, which is converted into take away food and coffee bar zoon. Furthermore, some new facilities are added in nowadays cafe such as salad bar area and barbecue serving point. What is more important change is outdoore seating area which is located in the south side of the cafe.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, identifying both the static elements and the significant changes. You have successfully compared the 'before' and 'after' states. However, the report lacks a clear, analytical overview that synthesizes the changes effectively. While you mention that the area changed significantly, the description of the layout is sometimes repetitive, and the distinction between the original and new features could be sharper. To reach a higher band, ensure that the overview highlights the most striking transformation—such as the shift from a staff-focused area to a more customer-oriented layout—rather than just listing individual changes.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on static and changed features. You use cohesive devices such as 'According to the diagrams', 'Additionally', and 'On the other side' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally imprecise (e.g., 'the changes of new redesigned cafe is important'). The flow between sentences is generally clear, but the progression of ideas could be smoother if you grouped the information more thematically rather than just listing items.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'renovated', 'infrastructure', and 'facilities'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and minor errors, such as 'infrastructural plane' (instead of 'plan'), 'zoon' (instead of 'zone'), and 'outdoore'. The phrasing 'same it is which was mentioned' is unnatural. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensure that technical terms related to diagrams and layouts are used accurately. Expanding your range of descriptive verbs beyond 'located' would also enhance the quality of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the north-west side of cafe'), subject-verb agreement ('the changes... is important'), and prepositions. Some sentences are clunky, such as 'some things are located as same as at place when they are located in past structure'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the score. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic article usage and ensuring that your verb tenses remain consistent when describing the past versus the present state.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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