Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-15
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 plans illustrate how a college cafe was redesigned and how it looks in the present day.
Overall, a cafe undergoes a significant transformation by adding outdoor seating for customers. The most notable changes are the development of salad bar and barbecue, while toilets, tables and chairs, and kitchen are remained unchanged.
Regarding the northwest part of the cafe, serving area is replaced by hotmeals. In the middle part of the cafe, take away food and coffee bar sections are added by removing staff dining rooms. In the left corner, salad bar and place for barbecue are introduced. The most notable change is the addition of outdoor seating. Bins are also replaced by recycling bins.
In the middle of the cafe, tables and chairs are remained unchanged. Kitchen remains in its original location, which is located in the northwest part of the cafe. Along the southeast edge of the cafe, toilets is left unchanged.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers the main features of the redesign well, identifying the addition of outdoor seating and the changes to the serving areas. The overview is clear and highlights the most significant transformations. However, the report could be improved by providing more precise spatial descriptions. For instance, stating 'northwest part' or 'middle part' is helpful, but the report occasionally lacks clarity regarding the exact layout changes. While the main features are addressed, the comparison between the 'before' and 'after' states could be more integrated to better highlight the extent of the changes. Overall, the response is accurate and fulfills the requirements of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that group information by location. The progression of ideas is generally easy to follow. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'In the middle part', 'In the left corner', 'In the middle of the cafe'). While paragraphing is used appropriately, the transitions between sentences could be more varied to improve the flow. The referencing is generally clear, but the repetition of certain phrases makes the text feel slightly disjointed at times.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with relevant terms such as 'redesigned', 'transformation', 'barbecue', and 'recycling bins'. There is an attempt to use specific terminology related to the cafe layout. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on basic verbs like 'added' and 'replaced'. Some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'place for barbecue' instead of 'barbecue area'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and descriptive language to characterize the changes more precisely.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and passive voice construction, such as 'kitchen are remained unchanged' and 'toilets is left unchanged'. The correct form should be 'the kitchen remained unchanged' or 'the kitchen has remained unchanged'. Additionally, the use of articles is inconsistent in places (e.g., 'development of salad bar'). While these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. More attention to verb tense consistency and article usage is recommended.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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