Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-16

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 6.5)

The map depicts the layout of a college cafe and compares the change of it after renovating.

Overall, there are many change that took place within the cafe, but the most significant change happened outside with a sitting area and a barbecue stall.

Before the layout of the cafe was redesign, it has fewer rooms. From the north to the south, the one that sat in the northwest of the cafe contained kitchen and a serving area where provides all food and drink to visitors. To the south of it, there was a large open area for tables and chairs, with two staff dining rooms that were placed in the north. Additionally, the bathroom was put in the south-eastern corner. A bin was placed between the entrance and the bathroom.

However, these days, with the kitchen area has remained unchanged, the serving area only provide visiters with hot meals. To the south of it, a salad bar has been added. The rooms that used to be used for dining now become one room for take away food and the other one for coffee. The bin was replaced by several recycling bins. In addition to these changes, a door next to the washroom was built. Through, guests can go to the outdoor area, where they can buy barbecue and sit.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign well. You successfully identified the key changes, such as the addition of the outdoor area, the salad bar, and the repurposing of the dining rooms. The overview is clear and highlights the most significant developments. However, the description of the layout is occasionally imprecise; for instance, stating the kitchen remained 'unchanged' is slightly inaccurate as the serving area layout was modified. To reach a higher band, ensure that all spatial descriptions are perfectly aligned with the visual data provided in the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Additionally' and 'In addition to these changes'. However, there are some mechanical transitions that feel slightly forced, such as 'Through, guests can go to the outdoor area'. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect the spatial descriptions more fluidly. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the 'before' and 'after' states.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'renovating', 'repurposing', and 'significant'. There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'where provides' (should be 'which provides') and 'visiters' (spelling error). While you successfully describe the layout, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive. To improve, try to incorporate more precise synonyms for spatial movement and change, such as 'transformed', 'converted', or 'relocated', rather than relying on basic verbs like 'put' or 'become'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'there are many change' (should be 'changes'), 'before the layout... was redesign' (should be 'redesigned'), and 'the serving area only provide' (should be 'provides'). These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not generally impede the reader's understanding of the information. To achieve a higher score, focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage when describing past and present states.

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

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