Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The plans describe the cafe before its infrastructure was redeveloped and current layout.
Overall, the cafe has been commercialized from small cafe with just dine in to delivery and by placing different shops like bar, barbecue and outdoor seating.
Earlier, the cafe consists of kitchen on the top left and toilets in the right bottom corner, both are still placed in the same location even now. below the kitchen serving area ( all food and drinks) has now only heat meals available. In the mail hall at the top center staff dining rooms are reconstructed as one of the room if for take away food and other is coffee bar.
Before redesigning, left side area was left plain, but currently salad bar is build on the left center with new doors to enter and exit. The outdoor is now filled with tables and chairs for dinning and a new barbecue which is attached to the cafe at left corner. Bin is replaced by recycling bin.
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 cafe redesign, such as the addition of the salad bar, the coffee bar, and the outdoor seating area. However, the overview is somewhat weak; it focuses on 'commercialization' rather than summarizing the physical changes clearly. Some details are slightly inaccurate or confusing, such as the description of the 'serving area' and the 'staff dining rooms'. While the main features are identified, the comparison between the two plans could be more precise and better structured to highlight the transformation effectively. The response meets the requirements of the task but lacks the analytical depth required for a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the description. However, the logical progression is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing and limited use of cohesive devices. For instance, the transition between the description of the interior and the exterior is somewhat abrupt. While the use of referencing (e.g., 'both are still placed in the same location') is generally clear, the overall flow is mechanical. The paragraphing is present but could be more effectively used to group related features, such as separating internal changes from external ones more distinctly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are several instances of awkward word choices, such as 'infrastructure was redeveloped' and 'mail hall' (likely a typo for 'main hall'). Phrases like 'salad bar is build' contain grammatical errors that affect the lexical accuracy. The range of vocabulary is limited to basic descriptive terms, and there is little attempt to use more sophisticated or precise language to describe the spatial changes. To improve, the student should focus on using more accurate terminology for architectural features and avoiding repetitive sentence structures.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'the cafe consists of kitchen' (missing article), 'both are still placed' (tense/subject agreement issues), and 'salad bar is build' (incorrect verb form). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with capitalization and commas. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevents the response from reaching a higher band. More attention to subject-verb agreement and article usage is necessary.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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