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 plane illustrate the layout of college cafe looks before and after it was redesigned.
overall, the cafe consists of diiferent areas before and after redesign and some of the extension will oberve in new cafe. And some major changes are staff dining rooms chnaged to coffee bar and food take away room.salad bar will obsevre in new cafe at western part of the cafe.
Firstly, In the comparsion of the both cafes kitchen remains same and tables & chairs are unchnaged.
Further,The major changes we observe staff dining area completed removed and it changed as two different area i.e Take away area and ccoffee bar. Following this a new salad bar is added in new cafe and we observe major extension on new cafe i.e outdoor seating be arranged to enjoy best climate during dinner.
Finally, bin area will be extensed with a more bins name it as recycling bins.And serving area will be changed as hot meals region.
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, such as the removal of the staff dining area and the addition of the salad bar and outdoor seating. However, the report lacks a clear, professional summary of the overall changes. The description of the layout is somewhat disjointed, and some details, such as the 'bin area' and 'hot meals region', are described with limited clarity. To improve, ensure that the overview clearly highlights the most significant transformations rather than just listing individual changes. While the key information is present, the lack of a cohesive summary and some imprecise reporting of the spatial changes prevents a higher score.
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 the repetitive use of 'And' to start sentences and the awkward phrasing of 'Following this'. The logical progression between ideas is sometimes interrupted by grammatical errors and awkward transitions. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult to track the spatial changes being described. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus that flows logically from the previous one.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are frequent spelling errors, such as 'diiferent', 'oberve', 'chnaged', and 'extensed'. The word choice is often repetitive or informal, such as 'major changes we observe' and 'best climate'. The student attempts to use specific terminology like 'take away area' and 'coffee bar', but the overall range is limited. To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary to describe spatial changes, such as 'transformed', 'relocated', 'expanded', or 'converted', and pay closer attention to spelling accuracy.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but grammatical errors are frequent and pervasive. Issues include missing articles ('the cafe', 'a coffee bar'), incorrect verb tenses ('The plane illustrate'), and subject-verb agreement errors ('some of the extension will oberve'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after periods and incorrect capitalization. These errors occasionally impede the flow of reading. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles, before attempting more complex structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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