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 show a college cafe before redesign and after redesign.
Overall, after redesign the cafe is well organized according to growing needs like different bars (coffee, salad), barbecue and outdoor seating is managed to form while kitchen, toilets recycle bins remain the same while the staff dinning rooms no longer exists.
In plan showing cafe before redesign, kitchen is located at the inner side just beyond the serving area
(all food & drink). The main area is covered with tables and chairs in addition with staff dinning rooms at side of serving area. Toilets are at corner of cafe while bin is also present near the toilets in the hall.
Cafe today has some changings in it, kitchen is exactly at same point while Hot meals is formed instead of serving area. Take away food and coffee bar is located in place of staff dinning rooms. Salad bar is build at left side of cafe, toilets are at same position and bin is replaced with recycling bin. Meanwhile, barbecue is also formed in front of cafe while oudoor seating is also arranged their.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| 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, including the addition of new bars and outdoor seating, as well as the removal of the staff dining room. However, the description of the layout is somewhat confusing. For instance, stating that the kitchen is 'at the inner side' and then 'exactly at same point' is repetitive and lacks precision. While the main features are identified, the comparison between the two plans could be more analytical. The summary is functional but lacks a clear, professional overview of the transformation, which is necessary for a higher band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into three paragraphs, which is appropriate for this task. However, the logical flow is hindered by awkward phrasing and a lack of sophisticated cohesive devices. Transitions between sentences are often mechanical or missing, such as the abrupt jump between describing the kitchen and the seating area. The use of referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the spatial changes. While the overall structure is coherent enough to be understood, the lack of varied linking words limits the score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'is formed', 'is build', and 'is located' are used frequently, which limits the range. There are also some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'changings' instead of 'changes' and 'staff dinning rooms' (spelling error: dining). The student attempts to describe specific areas, but the lack of precise terminology for spatial description (e.g., 'adjacent to', 'situated in the corner', 'reconfigured') prevents a higher score. More variety in descriptive verbs and nouns is needed.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('The plan show', 'staff dinning rooms no longer exists') and article usage ('at corner of cafe'). The use of prepositions is also inconsistent, such as 'arranged their' (should be 'there'). While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of basic grammatical errors and the lack of complex sentence structures indicate a limited control of grammar. Improving accuracy in basic sentence construction is essential.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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