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 diagram shows a map of cafe in a college before and after it was redisgned.
Overall,It can be seen that cafe gone under massive development. Earlier it used to be a small cafe with very less facilities and now it has been redisgned with lot for facilities.
Therefore, cafe before residgn used to have kithen and a serving area in east. In additiion, on north in center staff dinning rooms are built and below it there are table and chairs for guest dinning. On other hand, in north west their is a bn and toilets.
However, after redesining serving area has been converted into hot meals. Staff dinning is changed into take away food and coffee bar. Futhermore, an salad bar has been build in east and bin has become rycling bin. Other facilities like kitchen, tables and chairs and toilets remain same. In contrast, an outdoor seating is opened in north along with barbeque on east side.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, identifying key changes such as the conversion of the serving area and the addition of outdoor seating. However, the report lacks precision in describing the spatial layout. For instance, the description of the 'north' and 'east' areas is somewhat confusing and does not clearly map out the changes for the reader. While the main features are highlighted, the comparison between the two plans could be more analytical. To improve, ensure that the spatial relationships are described more accurately and that all major changes are clearly contrasted.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate, such as 'Therefore' at the start of the third paragraph, which does not logically follow the previous sentence. Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when describing locations (e.g., 'on north in center'). The flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed, which hinders the overall progression of the information. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words would significantly enhance the clarity of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but contains several spelling errors, such as 'redisgned', 'kithen', 'additiion', and 'rycling'. These errors are frequent and occasionally distracting. The range of vocabulary is limited, relying on basic descriptors like 'small' or 'massive'. While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'serving area' and 'outdoor seating', the lack of precision in word choice and the persistent spelling issues limit the score. Focusing on accurate spelling and expanding the range of descriptive verbs would improve the lexical quality.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response uses a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Examples include 'cafe gone under massive development' (missing article and auxiliary verb), 'very less facilities' (incorrect quantifier), and 'an salad bar' (incorrect article). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and periods. 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 articles, verb tenses, and sentence structure is needed.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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