Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-17
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 following diagram demonstrates how a college cafe redesigned over time.
Overall, there are a lot of new extensions are added to the main cafetaria. There only a few things remain as they were before like the space reserved for kitchen and toilets.
To commence with, there is an addition of outdoor seating in the new design along with the facility for barbecue. Meanwhile, in the past there was not a separate area for salads but it is new available right beside barbecue but it is built inside the cafe. Before redesigning, there were two separate rooms for staff members to eat. However, it is now replaced with a takeaway food corner and a coffee bar.
In contrast, the kitchen was built as an extension in the past and this area serve the same purpose. Although its front area was reserved for serving all kind of foods and drinks in the previous times, it serves just hot meals these days. All in all, there is no changes occur in the toilets but the bin situated in front of these toiletaries is noe replace with big 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
You have successfully identified the main features of the cafe redesign, such as the addition of outdoor seating, the barbecue area, and the reconfiguration of the internal spaces. You also made relevant comparisons between the 'before' and 'now' states. However, the report lacks a clear overview that synthesises the most significant changes, such as the shift from a staff-focused layout to a more customer-oriented one. Additionally, some descriptions are slightly confusing, such as the mention of the salad area being 'built inside the cafe' while also being 'right beside the barbecue', which is outside. To improve, ensure your overview highlights the most striking transformations rather than just listing details.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of your ideas. You use some cohesive devices like 'To commence with', 'Meanwhile', and 'In contrast' to link your points. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly unnatural. For instance, 'To commence with' is more suited to an argumentative essay than a report on visual data. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, such as the use of 'it' in 'it is now replaced', where the antecedent is slightly ambiguous. Improving the variety and precision of your linking words will help your writing flow more naturally.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the changes, using terms like 'extensions', 'redesigned', and 'reconfigured'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and minor errors, such as 'new available' (should be 'now available'), 'toiletaries' (which is not a standard word), and 'no changes occur' (should be 'no changes have occurred'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit your score. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring that your word forms are accurate in context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'there are a lot of new extensions are added' (incorrect passive construction), 'there only a few things remain' (missing verb 'are'), and 'this area serve' (subject-verb agreement error). While these errors rarely prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they are frequent enough to indicate a lack of control over complex structures. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your verb tenses are consistent 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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