Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-13

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 diagram shows a comparison of the renovation of a college cafeteria.

It shows the how what changes they made. Before the changing the cafe was divided into two area. One the kitchen area and the other the main hall.

The kitchen area consists of a kitchen and a serving area and the main hall consist of a small bin on the right side, two staff dining tables, toilets

in the right bottom corner next to the bin and the rest contains tables and chairs.

Firstly the kitchen remain as is was before but near it, before there was a derving area, which they have now changed to Hot meals area.

In the main hall, there was two staff dining rooms but now they have changed it. Half of the area covered by the dining table is now

become the take away food area and and rest of the area is now the coffee bar.

In the main hall on the right side there was a bin in the centre, its area was small before now it is changed to recyle bin and the

space for it is increased. The toilets remians the same. On the opposite side of this recycle bin, in the left corner of the hall there is as a new salad bar.

This all covers the inner space of the cafe. There was no outdoor sitting before but now they have also created outdoor sitting

and add a barbecue area in the left of the outdoor sitting.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the cafe renovation, including the kitchen, dining areas, and the new outdoor space. You successfully identified the key changes, such as the conversion of the serving area to a hot meals area and the addition of the salad bar and outdoor seating. However, the report lacks a clear overview or summary paragraph, which is essential for Task 1. The description is somewhat fragmented, focusing on individual details rather than synthesizing the information into a cohesive summary of the overall transformation. To improve, ensure you provide a clear introductory overview of the most significant changes.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the description. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and sometimes mechanical. Phrases like 'Firstly' are used, but there is a lack of variety in linking words to show relationships between the old and new layouts. Additionally, some sentences are disjointed, and the progression of ideas could be smoother. The paragraphing is a bit erratic, with some very short paragraphs that disrupt the flow. Using a wider range of transition signals and ensuring each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would improve the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate to describe the changes, using terms like 'renovation', 'serving area', and 'outdoor sitting'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and repetition, such as 'the changing' instead of 'the changes' and 'the rest of the area' used multiple times. There are also minor errors in word formation, such as 'recyle' (recycle) and 'derving' (serving). To reach a higher band, you should aim for more precise terminology related to spatial descriptions and avoid repeating the same basic structures and vocabulary throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentences, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('the kitchen remain', 'toilets remians'), missing articles ('in the right bottom corner'), and awkward phrasing ('It shows the how what changes they made'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some run-on sentences and missing commas. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of basic errors in tense and sentence structure prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and article usage would be highly beneficial.

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

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