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 plan illustrates the shapes of college cafe before and currently it is looking.
There are some changes happen in plans. Firstly, the serving area where all types of food and drink was offered is replaced by hot meals. Secondly, Staff dining rooms changed with take away food and coffee bar separately. Thirdly, bin is exchanged with recycling bins. And lastly, there are many new sections are included in college cafe which are salad bar, barbecue, outdoor seating. There are more doors are added in college cafe as compared to before.
The design of college cafe before it was redesigned is kitchen are in the north-west corner, and serving area was attached with it. Moreover, toilets and bin were in south-east corner. Furthermore, staff dining room was in the east side, and tables and chairs was in south side.
The design of the college cafe after it is redesign. Kitchen is in the north-west corner, and hot meals is attached with it. Additionally, toilets and recycling bins is in south-east corner. Moreover, some new sections are added which is barbecue, salad bar, and outdoor seating.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the cafe redesign, identifying key changes such as the new serving area, the addition of a salad bar, and the relocation of facilities. However, the report lacks a clear overview or summary of the most significant trends, which is a requirement for Band 6 and above. The information is presented as a list of changes rather than a cohesive summary. While the main features are identified, the lack of a clear synthesis of the overall transformation limits the score. To improve, ensure you include an introductory overview that highlights the most striking changes, such as the expansion of seating and the modernization of food service areas.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response uses basic cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Moreover' to organize points. However, the paragraphing is problematic; the text is divided into four short, somewhat disjointed paragraphs that do not follow a logical flow. The transition between the description of the 'before' state and the 'after' state is abrupt. Furthermore, the referencing is sometimes unclear, making the progression of ideas feel mechanical rather than fluid. To improve, group your information into a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that compare the 'before' and 'after' states more effectively.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on simple verbs like 'changed', 'added', and 'replaced'. There is some repetition of basic terms such as 'college cafe' and 'corner'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning, it does not demonstrate the range required for higher bands. To improve, try to use more descriptive verbs and nouns related to spatial changes, such as 'transformed', 'converted', 'relocated', or 'expanded'. Avoid repeating the same phrases throughout the response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with subject-verb agreement and article usage. For example, 'There are some changes happen' should be 'There have been some changes', and 'kitchen are in the north-west' should be 'the kitchen is in the north-west'. Additionally, there are issues with sentence structure, such as 'The design of the college cafe after it is redesign', which is a fragment. The range of structures is limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and using more complex sentence structures to describe the changes.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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