Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-20

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 8.5)

The plans illustrate the changes made to a college café following its redesign.

Overall, the café has been significantly reorganised, with the kitchen and toilets remaining in roughly the same locations, while several new facilities, including a coffee bar, takeaway-food counter, salad bar and outdoor seating area, have been added. The former staff dining rooms have also been removed to create more customer space.

Before the redesign, the kitchen occupied the upper-left corner, with a serving area for food and drinks directly below it. Two staff dining rooms were situated in the centre of the café, while most of the remaining indoor space contained tables and chairs. The toilets were located in the lower-right corner, and a bin was positioned near the right-hand entrance.

The redesigned café has a more varied layout. The kitchen remains in the upper-left, but the former serving area has been replaced by a hot-meals counter. In the centre, the two staff dining rooms have been converted into a takeaway-food area and a coffee bar. The main dining area still occupies most of the interior, although a salad bar has been added along the left wall and a recycling-bin area has replaced the old bin on the right. The toilets remain in the lower-right corner.

A major new feature is the outdoor seating area, which has been created along the bottom of the café. It includes several sets of tables and chairs, as well as a barbecue at the far left. Thus, the redesign has increased the range of food and drink facilities and provided additional seating, while making the café more suitable for students.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response is excellent. You have fully addressed all parts of the task by providing a clear overview and detailed comparisons between the two plans. You successfully identified the key changes, such as the removal of staff dining rooms and the addition of the outdoor seating area. The information is well-selected, and the report is logically structured, ensuring that the reader can easily follow the transformation of the café. The inclusion of specific details like the 'hot-meals counter' and 'recycling-bin area' demonstrates a thorough analysis of the visual data provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose: the introduction provides a summary, the second paragraph describes the 'before' state, the third details the 'after' state, and the final paragraph highlights the most significant changes. Cohesive devices such as 'Before the redesign', 'In the centre', and 'A major new feature' are used naturally and effectively to guide the reader through the spatial changes. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the flow between sentences is smooth and coherent throughout the entire report.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

You have used a wide range of vocabulary with precision and natural control. Terms such as 'significantly reorganised', 'converted', 'varied layout', and 'suitable for students' are used accurately in context. The vocabulary is sophisticated and appropriate for an academic report. There are no noticeable errors in word choice or collocation, and the language used is both fluent and flexible, allowing for a clear and professional description of the architectural changes shown in the diagrams.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The response demonstrates a high level of grammatical control. You have employed a variety of complex structures, such as passive voice constructions ('has been created', 'have been converted') and subordinate clauses ('while several new facilities... have been added'), which are essential for describing processes and changes. The majority of sentences are error-free, and the punctuation is used correctly to enhance clarity. The control over tense usage—shifting between the past state and the present result—is handled with complete accuracy, reflecting a high level of grammatical competence.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.