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)
Here the given diagram compares changes that has been made in college cafe before its redesigned.
Overall, cafe has undergone significant changes with several facility being added and some areas being replaced. In addition the staff dining rooms were removed, while a coffee bar, takeaway food area, salad bar and outdoor seating has been introduced.
To start with, In the kitchen serving area has been replaced with hot meals which previously used to serve all kind of food and beverages. Moreover, Outside of the cafe new barbecue along with outdoor seating facility has been introduced along with 2 gates for exit and entry to the cafe.
Furthermore, inside of the cage the staff dining rooms have completely been replaced with Take away food and coffee bar. In addition, Toilets remained intact. The normal bin has been replaced with recycling bin. Lastly, opposite of the recycling bins the salad bar has been newly introduced.
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 redesign, such as the removal of staff rooms and the addition of the coffee bar and outdoor seating. However, the description of the kitchen area is slightly confusing, and the report lacks a clear, analytical overview of the spatial flow. While the main changes are identified, the comparison between the 'before' and 'after' states could be more precise. The response meets the minimum length requirement, but the development of ideas is somewhat basic, and the report would benefit from a more structured comparison of the layout changes rather than just listing them.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. Cohesive devices such as 'To start with', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore' are used to link ideas. However, some of these transitions feel a bit mechanical or are used incorrectly, such as 'In addition the staff dining rooms were removed' (missing punctuation). The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved to create a more natural progression of information. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, overview, and specific details.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the changes clearly. Words like 'redesigned', 'significant', and 'introduced' are used correctly. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'hot meals which previously used to serve all kind of food' (the kitchen serves food, not the meals themselves) and 'inside of the cage' (likely a typo for 'cafe'). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, and the student relies on basic descriptors rather than more precise terminology related to architectural or layout changes.
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 ('cafe has undergone', 'several facility being added', 'outdoor seating has been introduced') and missing articles ('the' before 'cafe' or 'staff dining rooms'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage after introductory phrases. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to lower the score. A greater focus on proofreading for basic agreement and article usage would significantly improve the clarity of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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