Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-12
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 blueprint of the cafe designs indicate that it has gone through several changes. The first diagram illustrates how the cafe was before redesigning and the second diagram illustate the design of the cafe in recent day.
The main kitchen area in both the diagram has remained same, whereas the attached serving area for all food and drinks, has changed into place for hot meals in cafe today. The repurposing of the staff dining room has happened for take away food and coffee bar. Going further, the poisition of the bin has been same and it has been transformed into recycling bin. The placement of the table and chairs are same in both the diagrams. The diagram of today's cafe shows a few developments which was not planned before redesigning, such as the salad bar, next to the entrance of the hot meals and kitchen area. Furthermore, the main addition which has been seen today's cafe is the arrangement for outdoor seating with 5 tables and 26 chair along with barbecue corner which lead to the two main entrance door: next to the toilets and barbecue.
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 kitchen, serving areas, and new additions like the outdoor seating and salad bar. However, the report lacks a clear overview or summary paragraph, which is essential for Task 1. While the main features are identified, the description is somewhat list-like, and the comparison between the 'before' and 'after' states could be more analytical. The inclusion of specific details like '5 tables and 26 chairs' is good, but the overall structure needs to better highlight the most significant changes to meet the requirements for a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into two paragraphs, but the logical flow is somewhat mechanical. While cohesive devices like 'furthermore' and 'whereas' are used, the transition between ideas is occasionally abrupt. The paragraphing is acceptable, but the lack of a distinct overview paragraph makes the progression of information less clear. Referencing is generally clear, but the connection between the two diagrams could be strengthened by using more sophisticated comparative language to guide the reader through the changes more fluidly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the changes effectively. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'repurposing' and 'transformed'. However, there are minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'recent day' instead of 'the present day' or 'the current layout'. The repetition of 'same' and 'diagram' limits the lexical range. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise synonyms and varied collocations related to spatial changes and architectural features.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('diagram illustate', 'placement of the table and chairs are same') and incorrect article usage. Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'the repurposing of the staff dining room has happened for take away food'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of complex structures and proofreading for basic agreement errors would significantly improve the accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.