Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The maps illustrate how a college canteen looks after restructured and how it was look in past.
Overall, it can be clearly seen that the seating area became more developed, with adding new tables and chairs. In addition, the staff seating area was changed, while toilet remained unchanged.
Looking first at the northern part of the map, the serving area was replaced by a hot-meals section, while kitchen was remind stable.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response is significantly under the required 150-word minimum, which severely limits the ability to cover all parts of the task. While you have identified some main features, such as the seating area and the serving area, the analysis is far too brief to provide a comprehensive summary. Many key details from the diagrams are omitted, and the lack of development means the response does not meet the requirements for a higher band. To improve, you must describe all major changes, provide specific comparisons between the 'before' and 'after' states, and ensure you meet the word count requirement to allow for a full exploration of the data.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is organized into short paragraphs, which is a positive start. However, the progression of ideas is limited by the brevity of the text. You use basic cohesive devices like 'Overall' and 'In addition' to link sentences, but the overall structure feels disjointed due to the lack of content. To improve, focus on grouping related information more logically and using a wider variety of linking words to connect your observations about the changes in the cafe. The current structure is too sparse to demonstrate a clear, logical flow of information.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'remind stable' (which is grammatically incorrect) and 'looks after restructured' show a limited range of expression. There is little attempt to use less common or more precise vocabulary related to describing maps or changes (e.g., 'renovated', 'transformed', 'relocated'). To achieve a higher score, you should aim to use more varied and accurate terminology to describe the physical changes in the cafe, such as 'expanded', 'converted', or 'partitioned', and ensure that your word choices are contextually appropriate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'how a college canteen looks after restructured' (should be 'after being restructured') and 'how it was look in past' (should be 'how it looked in the past'). There is a lack of complex sentence structures, and the control over basic grammar is inconsistent. To improve, focus on mastering verb tenses for describing past and present states and ensure that your sentence construction is accurate. Practice using a mix of simple and complex sentences to demonstrate a better range of grammatical control.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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