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 information provided in the diagram illustrates the plans of college cafe design before and present after redesigned.
Overall, it is quite evident that both cafes have the same plan area in term of square feet. Before the cafe redesigned had some basic places and building. After the new construction the cafe look more better to provide services for college students.
Prior of redesigned, the cafe have an entrance gate at eh top right, just below on bottom right corner toilets are located, and above them a bin is placed. The center of the college cafe had occupied by Tables and chairs, and near to it on top center two rooms are seen, which are actually staff dining rooms, in the top left corner one kitchen located, and just in the neighbor an area is seen, which is particularly used for serving all food and drink services.
In the updated cafe, The entrance gate, kitchen toilets and tables and chairs, are maintain in the same places. which bin was upgraded by recycling bins, meanwhile the serving area had replaced by hot meals, moreover in the center left a salad bar was adding. Outside of the cafe on bottom side some new tables and chairs, as well as a barbecue setup had also added.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the two diagrams, identifying the key changes such as the addition of the salad bar, the barbecue area, and the change in the serving area. However, the overview is somewhat weak and lacks a clear summary of the most significant changes. The description of the layout is generally accurate, but some details are slightly confusing, such as the reference to 'top center' and 'top left' which could be more precisely described. To reach a higher band, ensure the overview highlights the most striking transformations rather than just stating that the area remains the same.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the 'before' and 'after' states. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Prior of redesigned', 'In the updated cafe', and 'moreover', although some of these are used incorrectly or sound unnatural. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the referencing is occasionally mechanical. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words would help the flow of the response significantly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe the layout and the changes made. There are some attempts at more specific vocabulary, such as 'recycling bins' and 'barbecue setup'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'look more better' instead of 'look better' or 'improved', and 'in the neighbor' instead of 'adjacent to'. Some phrasing is repetitive, and the range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, which restricts the score in this criterion.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Examples include 'the cafe have an entrance' (subject-verb agreement), 'before the cafe redesigned' (missing auxiliary verb), and 'salad bar was adding' (incorrect passive voice). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focusing on basic subject-verb agreement and correct tense usage would lead to immediate improvement.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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