Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-14

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 6.0)

The maps illustrate how a college cafe has changed from before to the present day.

Overall, the area has undergone substantial transformation, with several original features replaced or repurposed and new facilities introduced. The most notable developments are concentrated in the south, where seating area has altered the overall layout considerably.

In the past, the college cafe was largely characterised by limited development. Since then, the area has been considerably redeveloped. Most notably, staff dining rooms, which were originally situated in the north centre, has been demolished and replaced by coffee bar and take away food. serving area has since been converted into hot meals, while salad bar and, entirely absent in the earlier map, has now been introduced in the west.

Further modifications are also evident. Recycling bins has been extended towards the north. Barbecue facility has been established in the south west corner and outdoor seating has been developed in the south. By contrast, toilets has remained unchanged, continuing to occupy its original position in the south-east.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response successfully identifies the main features of the cafe redesign. You have provided a clear overview and highlighted key changes, such as the demolition of staff rooms and the addition of new facilities like the barbecue and outdoor seating. However, the report is slightly hampered by some inaccuracies in describing the locations. For instance, you mention the salad bar was introduced in the west, but the map shows it in the north-east. Additionally, the description of the 'serving area' conversion is slightly confusing. To reach a higher band, ensure that spatial references are precise and that all labels from the diagrams are accurately reflected in your summary.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices effectively, such as 'In the past' and 'By contrast', to guide the reader through the changes. However, there are instances where the flow is slightly mechanical or disjointed due to grammatical errors, such as the sentence starting with 'serving area has since been converted'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different stages of the redesign. To improve, focus on ensuring that transitions between sentences are smoother and that referencing (e.g., 'it', 'these') is used more consistently to link ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using words like 'substantial transformation', 'repurposed', and 'demolished'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'coffee bar and take away food' (which should be 'a coffee bar and a takeaway food area') and 'serving area has since been converted into hot meals' (a serving area is a place, not a food item). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Incorporating more precise terminology for describing spatial changes would enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and article usage. Examples include 'staff dining rooms... has been demolished' (should be 'have'), 'Recycling bins has been extended' (should be 'have'), and 'toilets has remained' (should be 'have'). Additionally, there are missing articles, such as 'replaced by coffee bar' (should be 'a coffee bar'). These errors are noticeable and occur throughout the text. Increasing your focus on proofreading for basic agreement and article consistency will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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