Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-21
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 provided plans represent a college cafe before it was renovated and how it looks at present.
Overall, it can be seen that a cafe has become quit wider with the addition of some food sections and seating chairs, however areas such as toilets and kitchens remained unchanged.
Kitchen has remained constant, while serving area ahead of kitchen has replaced with hot meal section. Staff dinning rooms were converted into take away food and coffee bar areas. Similarly, a small bin along side of the toilets was modified into a large recycling bin.
The large area for table and chairs remained unchanged even after redesign. Salad bar has installed on the opposite side of bin. Likewise, barbeque and sitting chairs and tables have introduced outside the cafe, making the area more wider. Subsequently, entrances near toilets and barbecue have constructed, whereas doors on the another side of toilets were same.
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 additions and the areas that remained unchanged. You successfully identified key modifications such as the new hot meal section and the outdoor seating. However, the report lacks a clear, analytical overview that synthesizes the changes effectively. While you mention the cafe became 'wider', the description of the layout changes is somewhat mechanical and lacks a cohesive summary of the overall transformation. To reach a higher band, ensure the overview highlights the most significant trends or shifts in the cafe's layout rather than just listing individual changes.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the description. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Similarly', 'Likewise', and 'Subsequently' to link ideas. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly unnatural in context. For instance, the transition between the kitchen area and the seating area could be smoother. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'doors on the another side of toilets were same', which lacks precision. Improving the variety and accuracy of your linking words will enhance the flow of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary to describe the changes, such as 'renovated', 'converted', and 'modified'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'seating chairs' (redundant), 'salad bar has installed' (passive voice error), and 'making the area more wider' (incorrect comparative structure). These errors occasionally distract the reader. To improve, focus on using more precise terminology for spatial descriptions and ensure that your collocations are natural. Expanding your vocabulary to include more sophisticated descriptors for change would also be beneficial.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the accuracy of the text. Common issues include missing articles (e.g., 'Kitchen has remained', 'Salad bar has installed'), incorrect verb forms ('were converted into take away food', 'were same'), and errors in comparative adjectives ('more wider'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. You should focus on mastering basic article usage and ensuring that comparative structures are formed correctly to improve your overall grammatical control.
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.