Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The plans illustrates the vision of a college cafe before it was reconstructed and how it sees now.

Overall, the cafe has modernized and functional sites has also been constructed. The cafe is now enclarged in maximum area where outdoor seating area has also been added.

The kitchen is on similar place as it was previously. Serving area has been changed into hot meals and similarly, staff dining rooms is being replaced with food take away and coffee bar. At the left side of the figure the salad bar has been open. But the maximum space in the centre for tables and chairs is as same.

Also, the plan is extended to outdoor seating area which has large space where people can barbecue at the left side of the figure and enjoy their time with friends and family. Bin is reconstructed to recycling bins. The cafe looks fascinating with new designed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, such as the kitchen, seating, and new additions like the outdoor area. However, the report is somewhat superficial. For example, stating 'the kitchen is on similar place' is vague, and the description of the serving area and salad bar lacks precision regarding their exact locations or changes. The overview is present but could be more analytical by highlighting the most significant changes rather than just listing them. While all parts of the task are addressed, the development of the information is limited, and some details are slightly inaccurate or confusingly phrased, such as the mention of a barbecue area which is not clearly supported by standard plan interpretation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For instance, 'But the maximum space in the centre for tables and chairs is as same' is a weak transition. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as 'the plan is extended to outdoor seating area', which does not clearly link back to the previous paragraph. The progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed, and the logical flow between sentences could be improved to ensure a smoother reading experience.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward word choice or incorrect collocations, such as 'enclarged in maximum area', 'functional sites has also been constructed', and 'new designed'. The student relies on basic terminology and struggles to express the changes in the layout with sophisticated language. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of control over word formation and collocation limits the score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('The plans illustrates', 'staff dining rooms is being replaced'), incorrect preposition use ('on similar place'), and awkward phrasing ('how it sees now'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the high frequency of errors in basic grammar structures, such as tense consistency and pluralisation, impedes the overall accuracy of the writing.

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

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