Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The given diagram illustrates the design of college cafeteria before and after it was made.

Overall, it was man-made process, linear process. The cafe today, has various types of changes in it. College cafeteria has included more area with it, which is used for Barbecue and outdoor seating for youngsters.

As earlier serving area of all food and drinks was now used as hot meals location. The kitchen as well as tables and chairs remain confined to its location before and after redesign. the staff dining rooms were divided in two rooms to utilize it as take away food and coffee bar simultaneously.

The location of bin had remained same as earlier, but one major change occur was that recycling bins number were increased. Toilets had no major change in it. One new feature was added to tables and chairs area, that was salad bar. Area below the cafeteria was used for both Barbecue as well as outdoor seating.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the redesign, such as the addition of the barbecue area and the conversion of the staff room. However, the overview is problematic; describing a floor plan as a 'man-made, linear process' is inaccurate and suggests a misunderstanding of the task type. While you identify key changes, the description of the 'serving area' and 'hot meals location' lacks precision, and the summary of the changes is somewhat disjointed. To improve, ensure your overview highlights the most significant spatial transformations rather than attempting to describe the nature of the process itself.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical flow is often hindered by awkward phrasing and mechanical transitions. For example, the sentence 'As earlier serving area of all food and drinks was now used as hot meals location' is difficult to follow. The use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes repetitive. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'in contrast', 'furthermore') to connect your ideas more fluidly and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher score. You rely on basic descriptors like 'various types of changes' and 'no major change'. There are also some unnatural collocations, such as 'man-made process' and 'confined to its location'. To improve, try to use more specific terminology related to spatial changes, such as 'relocated', 'expanded', 'partitioned', or 'transformed'. Expanding your range of synonyms for 'change' and 'location' will help demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include missing articles ('The location of bin'), incorrect verb tenses ('one major change occur'), and awkward phrasing ('The cafe today, has various types of changes in it'). While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement, consistent tense usage when describing the 'before' and 'after' states, and the correct use of definite and indefinite articles.

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

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