Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-11
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 above plans illustrates a college cafe before it was renovated and how it looks today.
Overall,We could a significant improvement. The cafe is giving more modern vibes after redesign. It clearly shows an outdoor sitting area for barbecue. The area that was occupied for staff dining has been changed for take away food and coffee bar. Bins are replaced by recycling bins. Serving area has changed for hot meals.There is also a salad bar.
In today's world, many people prefer take away food so it is considerably a good addition to the cafe. The recycling bins proves to be very beneficial for the environment and substainability. Serving area has changed for hot meals so that the food remains fresh. There is a separate bar for Salad to attract customer's attention.The barbecue spot is a very significant extension to the cafe. Apart from that, it proves to be a very amazing idea to gather more customers where customers can enjoy their food and beverages..
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, such as the new outdoor barbecue area, the coffee bar, and the hot meal serving section. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. Rather than focusing on the objective changes shown in the plans, the response includes subjective commentary, such as 'In today's world, many people prefer take away food' and 'it proves to be a very amazing idea'. In Task 1, you must remain objective and avoid personal opinions or external knowledge. To reach a higher band, focus on comparing the 'before' and 'after' states more precisely, using data or spatial descriptions rather than evaluating the quality of the changes.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is hindered by the inclusion of subjective opinions. While there is an attempt to use cohesive devices, some transitions feel mechanical or forced. For example, 'Apart from that' is used to connect ideas that are not clearly linked. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, and the paragraphing could be more effective if the descriptive features were grouped more logically (e.g., grouping all structural changes together). Improving the flow between sentences by using more varied linking words would help the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision required for a higher band. Phrases like 'giving more modern vibes' are too informal for an Academic Task 1 report. There are also some errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'substainability' (sustainability) and 'proves to be' used repeatedly. To improve, you should use more precise terminology related to layout and design, such as 'relocated', 'transformed', 'extended', or 'converted', rather than relying on general verbs like 'changed' or 'replaced'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'The above plans illustrates' (subject-verb agreement error), 'We could a significant improvement' (missing verb), and 'The recycling bins proves' (subject-verb agreement). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after periods in some instances. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring all sentences have a clear verb.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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