Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The two plans illustrate the change of design that the café has undergone. The first plan is how it used to be and the second is how it looks as of today.

While most of the café has changed, some areas of it remains the same or have been upgraded.

The kitchen, the toilets and the tables and chairs are at the same area as it used to be. The bin has been upgraded to a recycling bin.

The two major changes are the barbecue and the outdoor seatings that have been added (including the doors). By doing so, the surface of the café has expanded and the number of people the café can welcome has drastically increased. On the other hand, one minor change, is the addition of a salad bar.

Some space have kept the same volume area but have been swapped for different purposes. The serving area which provided food (hot or not) and drinks has been replaced with hot meals only. The two areas which included the staff dining rooms has been split in two, one for the take away food and the other for a coffee bar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main features of the cafe redesign, such as the addition of the barbecue area, the outdoor seating, and the reconfiguration of the internal spaces. However, the response lacks a clear overview or summary paragraph that synthesizes the most significant changes. While you mention some details, the description of the layout changes is slightly confusing, particularly regarding the staff dining rooms and the serving area. To reach a higher band, ensure you provide a clear, concise summary of the overall transformation in the introduction or as a separate paragraph, and ensure all spatial descriptions are precise enough for a reader to visualize the changes without seeing the original image.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of your ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'On the other hand' and 'By doing so', to link your points. However, the transitions between some sentences feel a bit mechanical or abrupt. For instance, the jump from discussing the kitchen to the bin, and then to the barbecue area, could be smoother. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear; for example, 'some areas of it remains the same' is slightly vague. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'undergone', 'reconfigured', and 'drastically increased'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'surface of the café has expanded' is not the most natural way to describe floor space; 'floor area' or 'capacity' would be more precise. You also use 'welcome' in a slightly awkward context when referring to cafe capacity. To improve, focus on using more precise terminology related to architectural plans and spatial changes, and ensure your collocations are natural for this type of report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Subject-verb agreement is a recurring issue, such as 'some areas of it remains' (should be 'remain') and 'Some space have kept' (should be 'Some spaces have kept'). There are also minor punctuation errors, such as the unnecessary comma in 'one minor change, is the addition'. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and comma usage.

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

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