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 plans show a college cafe before it was designed and how it looks now.
It can be clearly seen that before it was redesigned there was a kitchen along with serving area including all food and drink items in the northwest. In the center of the cafe tables and the chairs were there and next to it two staff dining rooms were there. The toilets were located in the southeast of the cafe with a bin in the east.
Evidently, it was clear that after the plan was redesigned a kitchen with hot meals was replaced by serving area. In the replacement of staff dining rooms take away food and coffee bar was designed. The new recycling bins were added in the east and toilets remained the same in the southeast. A new salad bar was built in the west and a barbecue in the outdoor area. All the seating arrangement was in the outside area in front of barbecue including 5 tables and 26 chairs in all.
Overall, expansion has been seen in the seating area and new facilities were good such as salad bar, barbecue, hot meals, take away food and coffee bar in the new designed plan.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| 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, including the relocation of the kitchen, the addition of the salad bar, and the expansion of the seating area. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, analytical overview. While you mention the expansion in the final paragraph, the summary could be more effectively integrated into the introduction or a dedicated overview paragraph. Some details, such as the specific number of tables and chairs, are included, which is good, but the comparison between the 'before' and 'after' states could be more fluidly expressed to highlight the transformation more effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, moving from the initial state to the redesigned state and concluding with an overview. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and mechanical. Phrases like 'It can be clearly seen that' and 'Evidently, it was clear that' are used as fillers rather than to guide the reader through the comparison. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the transition between the description of the old layout and the new one could be smoother to better emphasize the changes.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to describe the layout and the changes effectively. You use relevant terms such as 'redesigned', 'relocated', and 'facilities'. However, there is a lack of variety and precision. Phrases like 'there was' and 'were there' are used repeatedly, which limits the sophistication of the writing. To reach a higher band, try to use more descriptive verbs and varied sentence structures to describe the spatial changes, such as 'transformed into', 'replaced by', or 'situated in'.
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 several grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'in the replacement of staff dining rooms take away food... was designed' (which is awkward phrasing) and 'All the seating arrangement was in the outside area' (which should be 'All seating was arranged'). There are also minor issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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