Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The two pictures here shows a college cafe how it looked before redesign and after redesigned.

Overall, the cafe went through many changes and offer more facilities after redesigned.

Before redesigned, it was just a simple cafe with a kitchen, a combine serving area for all the food and drinks, a large sitting area with tables and chairs. It also had two staff dining rooms, small area for toilets and had a bin too.

If we talk about today's cafe, we can see from the picture that it went through major advancements. It have more facilities than before. Kitchen is still on same location but serving area is now divided into many sections inside and outside the cafe. The are which served all the food is now serving only hot meals there. A separate salad bar also built inside the cafe area. The two staff dining rooms converted into take away food and coffee bar sections. Toilets did not go through any changes but the bin is replaced by recycling bins. Outside the cafe a barbecue section with outdoor seating is also new in today's cafe.

In particular, the cafe undergone many good changes and now it have better facilities than before.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, including the kitchen, serving areas, and seating. However, the description is somewhat repetitive and lacks a more analytical approach to the comparison. While the main features are identified, the overview is quite basic and could be improved by highlighting the most significant changes more clearly. The response addresses the prompt adequately, but the lack of precise terminology (e.g., referring to the 'two staff dining rooms' as 'take away food and coffee bar sections' without noting the spatial shift) limits the clarity of the report. To reach a higher band, ensure that all comparisons are precise and the overview synthesizes the information rather than just listing changes.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the 'before' to the 'after' state. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'Before redesigned', 'If we talk about today's cafe'). There is a lack of variety in linking words, which makes the flow feel a bit stilted. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider range of transition signals to connect ideas more fluidly. The referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure relies on a simple chronological list rather than a sophisticated comparison.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word-choice errors, such as 'The two pictures here shows' (should be 'show') and 'after redesigned' (should be 'after the redesign'). The student relies on basic descriptors like 'simple cafe' and 'major advancements'. To improve, the student should incorporate more specific vocabulary related to describing maps and changes, such as 'transformed', 'relocated', 'expanded', or 'replaced'. The repetition of 'cafe' and 'area' also indicates a limited lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with verb tenses and subject-verb agreement. For example, 'The two pictures here shows' should be 'show', and 'the cafe undergone' should be 'the cafe has undergone'. The use of 'before redesigned' is grammatically incorrect; it should be 'before the redesign' or 'before it was redesigned'. While the student attempts some complex sentences, they are often marred by these persistent errors. The range of structures is limited, and the errors occasionally distract the reader, although they do not fully impede communication.

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

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