Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-18
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 maps illustrates the changes that took place in college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.
Overall, it is evident that the area underwent considerable development, with several new facilities and some existing features being removed. The most notable changes were the construction of salad bar and barbeoue and the replacement of staff dining rooms with coffee bar and take away food.
At the first glance, it can clearly seen that in the northern part of the the area, kitchen remained unhanged, and there was a serving area which contain all the variety of foods but now it has only hot meals. while staff dining room was replaced by coffee bar and take away food. In addition, recycling bins was constructed to east of bins.
Turning to the southern part of the coffee cafe, outdoor seating is introduced. Furthermore, salad bar and barbeoue was introduced in the western part of the cafe. By contrast, toilets, tables and chairs remained unchanged throughout the period.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, including the addition of the salad bar, barbecue, and coffee bar, as well as the removal of the staff dining room. The overview is clear and highlights the most significant changes. However, there are some inaccuracies in the reporting of details; for instance, the student mentions the kitchen remained unchanged, but the plan shows the kitchen area was actually reduced to accommodate the new coffee bar and takeaway section. Additionally, the reference to 'recycling bins' being constructed to the 'east of bins' is confusing and lacks clarity. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are interpreted with precision and that the overview captures the most significant trends rather than just listing changes.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on different areas of the cafe. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'At the first glance', 'In addition', and 'Turning to' helps guide the reader through the information. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'to east of bins'. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the northern section to the southern section of the cafe. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that the relationship between sentences is always explicit.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, with terms like 'considerable development', 'notable changes', and 'introduced' used correctly. However, there are some spelling errors, such as 'barbeoue' instead of 'barbecue', and 'unhanged' instead of 'unchanged'. Additionally, there are minor word-choice issues, such as 'maps' (these are floor plans, not maps) and 'at the first glance' (the standard idiom is 'at a glance'). The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning, but the presence of spelling and collocation errors limits the score. Using more precise terminology related to architectural changes would enhance the quality of the response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('The maps illustrates', 'recycling bins was constructed', 'salad bar and barbeoue was introduced') and missing articles ('in the northern part of the the area'). While these errors do not impede overall communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, the student should focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage, as these are foundational elements that currently detract from the accuracy of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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